GOLF.AI • Jan 20, 2026

Reed's PGA Tour Plea & LIV's Challenges

In a quiet mid-week on the professional golf calendar, the biggest noise came from off the course, dominated by surprising comments from one of LIV Golf's most prominent figures and growing questions about the league's future.

Patrick Reed, a controversial but key member of LIV since 2022, shocked the golf world by calling the PGA Tour the 'best tour in the world' and expressing a desire to return. Reed's path is currently blocked by the PGA Tour's new 'Returning Member Program,' which only allows major winners from 2022 onward to rejoin. Reed's 2018 Masters victory falls outside this window, but his public praise for his former tour adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing power struggle and raises questions about player satisfaction within LIV.

LIV Golf's challenges were further highlighted by 21-year-old Spanish phenom Angel Ayora, who publicly rejected a personal recruitment offer from his countryman, Sergio Garcia. Ayora stated his dream is to earn a PGA Tour card and play in the majors, a direct blow to LIV's efforts to attract the next generation of top talent. This narrative is compounded by speculation around Bryson DeChambeau's future, with reports suggesting LIV may need a massive contract extension to retain one of its few remaining in-prime superstars, especially after Brooks Koepka's recent departure. Even internal satisfaction is being questioned, with Bubba Watson openly criticizing LIV's potential move to a 72-hole format, arguing it reduces the 'chaos' that makes the tour unique.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is moving forward under the new, pragmatic leadership of CEO Brian Rolapp. His business-first approach, exemplified by the creation of the controversial returning member program, signals a strategy focused on strengthening the Tour's 'product' by bringing back stars, even if it causes friction with current members.

On the women's side, a significant development emerged with the announcement of the first wave of stars committing to the new Women's Tech-infused Golf League (WTGL). The commitment of World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, and others marks a major step forward for the innovative league, which is set to launch in the winter of 2026-27.