‘They Made Decisions’: Rickie Fowler Rejects LIV Golf Players’ ‘Unscathed’ Return to PGA Tour

In a recent turn of events, the golfing community witnesses divergent views among its top players regarding the return of LIV Golf professionals to the PGA Tour.

While Rory McIlroy appears conciliatory, Rickie Fowler takes a more critical stance. He emphasizes the significance of accountability for the decisions made by players like Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm, indicating a growing discord within the sport’s upper echelons.

Fowler, a six-time PGA Tour winner, acknowledges the necessity of bringing top players together for the sport’s benefit, particularly through Signature events with elevated purses. However, he strongly deviates from McIlroy’s position when it comes to welcoming back LIV Golf professionals. The 35-year-old asserts that there should be consequences for the decisions made by these players, leaving the scale of those consequences open-ended.

While Fowler refrains from explicitly dismissing the potential collaboration with PIF, as mentioned by Jordan Spieth, he underscores the complexity of incorporating LIV Golfers back into the PGA Tour. In his post-round interview at Pebble Beach, Fowler points out, “I mean, they made decisions, and there has to be something for it. How small or big, that’s not up to me.”

Notably, Fowler, once linked with LIV Golf amid speculations following a fallout with his longtime sponsor, Farmers Insurance, quashes any rumors of his departure. Amidst the ongoing AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he firmly declares, “Zero plans to go anywhere,” reinforcing his commitment to the PGA Tour despite the surrounding controversies.

The discourse around the return of LIV Golf professionals gains significance against the backdrop of the PGA Tour’s $3 billion deal with Strategic Sports Group, aiming to escalate the merger agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and PIF. Fowler’s dissenting views highlight the contentious nature of reintegrating players who ventured into LIV Golf, adding layers of complexity to an already intricate situation in professional golf.