PGA Tour slams door on potential Smith return
The PGA Tour has again ruled out extending a second olive branch to refugee LIV players looking for a home after the rebel league collapsed.
The news comes a week after the tour filed for bankruptcy in the US, with players among the 30 largest creditors owed as much as $1 billion. Cameron Smith himself is owed an estimated $6.5 million.
Cameron Smith is all but out of professional golf and still owed a small fortune. AP
Speaking at Wentworth ahead of this weekend's European PGA Championship, PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp reiterated those players would have to earn their way back onto golf's top tour.
"As I said a few weeks ago in Atlanta, there are really three things when it comes to anyone who wants to compete on the PGA Tour," Rolapp said.
"One, the PGA Tour is built on meritocracy. Every player, whether they are a member or want to become one, must earn their place.
"Two, we are a membership organisation. We have rules and those rules exist for lots of reasons, including fairness and competitive balance. Rules matter, and they must be enforced.
"Which brings me to No.3, accountability and discipline. These are essential elements for any sports league and are certainly for the integrity of the PGA Tour and the sport. It’s what holds the Tour together. Those are guiding principles for us.
"In terms of where we are today, we are not currently contemplating a returning-member program like the one you saw in January."
In January, the Returning Member Program was open to LIV stars who had won majors or the Players Championship between 2022 and 2025. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka were the only players eligible.
Rolapp made it clear it was a one-time offer and gave players two weeks to decide.
Only Koepka accepted the invitation, but it came with a hefty price tag.
He is ineligible for PGA Tour equity grants for five years, could not receive FedEx Cup prizemoney this year, and had to play his way in to signature events. He was also made to make a $7 million donation to a charity jointly decided with the Tour.
Weeks later, he made his return at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, he finished in a tie for 56th.
While several of his LIV colleagues still have European PGA Tour memberships, Smith does not.
Should he decide to return to the PGA Tour, he will have to do so by ascending through several new tiers of competition, the exact details are yet to be announced.
Smith has not played since LIV Golf’s final event at Indianapolis three weeks ago. Other than Australasian swing, Smith will not be eligible to play top-level events until The Masters next April.
