Scottie Scheffler sends Jon Rahm clear message over potential PGA Tour return

Scottie Scheffler has given his verdict on the possibility of Jon Rahm and other leading LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour.

Reports this week have suggested Rahm could leave LIV Golf after this season, with the future of the league increasingly uncertain.

Rahm joined LIV in December 2023 in a deal reportedly worth $350 million. 

The Spaniard, who captains Legion XIII, has won three consecutive LIV Golf Individual Championships, but his future is now under scrutiny with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) no longer funding the league beyond this season.

Should Rahm leave, as some reports suggest could happen, Scheffler would welcome the opportunity to compete against him again — although the World No.1 believes returning players should face consequences.

"There's definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well," Scheffler told reporters ahead of this week's BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

"So I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I'll let [PGA Tour CEO Brian] Rolapp and all those guys figure it out."

Scheffler added that he would relish the chance to compete against LIV's best players more regularly again on the PGA Tour. 

"I think for me being able to compete against the best players in the world there's certainly some guys on that Tour that can compete out here and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often."

Watch Scheffler's comments in full here:

Brooks Koepka sets potential precedent for Jon Rahm

There is already a recent example of what a return from LIV Golf could look like.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf in December 2025 and returned to the PGA Tour just weeks later under a new Returning Membership program.

However, his return came with significant penalties.

Koepka was required to pay $5 million to charity and was made ineligible for PGA Tour Signature Events, something that contributed to him falling short of making the FedEx Cup Playoffs this month. 

The program was also offered to Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith earlier this season, but all three turned down the opportunity.

That could prove significant if Rahm now decides to leave LIV.

If the PGA Tour creates another Returning Membership program for 2027, Rahm could potentially have a route back under whatever terms are established.

If it does not, the Spaniard will instead face a 12-month suspension before being eligible to return, something Patrick Reed has already experienced in 2026. 

Reed, who like Koepka quit LIV in 2025, will get to return to the PGA Tour after his suspension expires this month. 

Sam Burns also offered a similar take to Scheffler when pressed on the subject of LIV player returns to the PGA Tour. 

McIlroy offers slightly different take

Scheffler's comments contrast with those of Rory McIlroy, who was also asked about LIV players potentially returning during his own BMW Championship press conference on Wednesday. 

"I'd argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know," McIlroy said.

"I think the PGA Tour is in a really good spot."

The differing opinions underline the difficult decision facing PGA Tour leadership.

There is clearly an appetite among some of the Tour's biggest stars to see players such as Rahm return, but Scheffler believes those who left should not simply be allowed to walk back without consequences.

For Rahm, meanwhile, the decision could ultimately depend on what happens to LIV Golf in 2027 — and what price the PGA Tour puts on his return.

With the 2026 LIV season reaching its conclusion, Rahm's future is arguably the biggest talking point in the professional game right now.