Phil Mickelson breaks silence as Brooks Koepka | Golf News

The PGA Tour unveiled a Returning Member Program this week, opening the door for 4 LIV Golf stars to come back, but Phil Mickelson was notably absent from those who certified.

Brooks Koepka departed LIV Golf citing household causes, which led the PGA Tour to set up the Returning Members Program for those who competed in unauthorized occasions and have captured The Players, Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and/or The Open Championship between 2022 and 2025.

He was also the first participant excluded from the invitation checklist back to the PGA Tour, as Mickelson captured the PGA Championship in 2021, just prior to the newly created eligibility window. While Mickelson did not qualify to return, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith all are eligible, yet have chosen to stay with the Saudi-backed league for the time being.

“I think we’re all friends,” Mickelson said. “I consider Brooks a friend, and whatever he thinks is best for [him] and his family, I fully support.”

Mickelson’s 2021 PGA Championship victory made him the oldest major champion in historical past, but he is discovered it troublesome to keep that degree of efficiency since.

“I’m having so much fun out here,” Mickelson said. “I love playing out here on LIV. I love being with the guys.” Koepka selected to exit LIV Golf due to household concerns, despite having a 12 months left on his contract. He’s now returning to the PGA Tour, accepting a important financial hit in the method.

Koepka and any other participant who re-enters through the Returning Member Program will forfeit 5 years of participation in the tour’s Player Equity Program.

This could lead on to a loss of potential earnings between $50 to $85 million for the participant, relying on their efficiency.

These gamers will likely be eligible for the Presidents Cup and TGL, but they will not qualify for the $100 million FedEx Cup bonus program. The Tour also announced that Koepka was obligated to make a $5 million donation to charity.

In a assertion launched Monday, Koepka said: “I believe in where the PGA Tour is headed with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake,” including, “I also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those.”

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp warned that once this entryway to the PGA Tour shuts on Feb. 2, there’s no guarantee it would ever open again.