Paul McGinley believes that LIV Golf exits by Brooks Koepka and “smart guy” Patrick Reed could encourage stars like Tom McKibbin to line their pockets before jumping back to the major tours.
Reed, who was tied with Pádraig Harrington in the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, six shots off the pace after an opening 71, joined Koepka in cutting ties with the Saudi-funded tour.
Reed is eligible to rejoin the PGA Tour as early as August, and with more than $38 million in earnings with LIV and a pathway now open for “rebels” to return to the main tours, McGinley believes LIV Golf cannot rely on the loyalty of its young stars.
“You could make an argument that Patrick Reed was a smart guy here,” McGinley told Golf Channel. “A guy who went over for three or four years and filled his pockets with a load of money. He still got access to major championships during that time.
“He played the very best events in a DP World Tour, winning a big one last week. And now he’s going to come back after a year to play on the PGA Tour.
“And you could say the same about Brooks Koepka, who got paid over $100 million and he still won a major championship when he was over there playing on LIV.”
With Reed and Koepka setting a precedent, McGinley believes LIV Golf remains tempting for young stars like McKibbin, who can make a fortune in a couple of seasons before seeking a way back.
“He could well come back in a year or two years’ time now that the gateway seems to be quite clear for anybody to come back,” McGinley said of McKibbin, who remains a DP World Tour member.
“And he’ll come back with $40-50 million in his back pocket. If you look at it from a financial point of view, a lot of these young players will say, ‘Okay, well, maybe there’s not the risk in going to LIV where it was once a lifetime ban, and that’s not there anymore.
