Tom Watson Criticizes PGA Tour for Allowing LIV Golf Defectors to Return

Golf legend Tom Watson has expressed disappointment with the PGA Tour's decision to allow players who defected to the LIV Golf League to return to the tour. The PGA Tour introduced a program that enables a select group of top performers to regain their membership, with Brooks Koepka being one of the first to take advantage of this opportunity. As part of his reinstatement, Koepka made a $5 million charitable donation, a condition set by the PGA Tour. Patrick Reed is also set to rejoin the tour after leaving LIV Golf. Watson believes that players who left for LIV Golf should have been banned for life, and if he were the commissioner, he would require them to play on the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for the PGA Tour. The Returning Member Program, created by PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, was offered to several players, including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith, who have chosen to remain with LIV Golf. Reed will return to the PGA Tour after serving a one-year suspension from his last LIV Golf appearance. Watson thinks that when players left for LIV Golf, they violated the tour's primary rule of protecting sponsors. He believes that players should not be allowed to play wherever they want without seeking permission from the PGA Tour, as this could harm sponsors. Reed, on the other hand, is excited to return to the PGA Tour, stating that it has the best players and deepest fields, and he wants to compete against the top golfers regularly.