Rory McIlroy suggests LIV Golf may take a step back following Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy says Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour may indicate that the competitive LIV Golf Tour is in decline.

Koepka, 35, is returning to the PGA Tour after controversially joining the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Series in 2022.

He has agreed to make a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as part of his return, will forego any payments from the FedExCup Bonus scheme through the 2026 season and will not be eligible for the Tour’s player equity program between 2026-2030, which could amount to between $50-85m.

Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith have all indicated they will remain with LIV Golf, but the lack of any new signings suggests the power may be changing, according to McIlroy.

“It’s not like they made any huge signings this year, right?” The Northern Irishman told the Daily Telegraph, external.

“They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will.

“I mean they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they did, it doesn’t change their product, right?

“They’re going to pay for the exact same thing. And they lost Brooks.”

Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who played in the 2023 Ryder Cup alongside Koepka, says he is “torn” about his compatriot’s return to the PGA calendar after rejecting LIV’s own bid.

“I personally really like Brooks, and I think ultimately he’s really good for the PGA Tour, but also, you know, a guy who had the opportunity to go to LIV, it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to have his cake and eat it too,” Clark said.

“I got the offer. That was a little over a year and a half ago. And if you told me I could have gone for a year and a half, made a lot of money and then been able to come back and play on the tour, I think almost everyone would have done that.”