The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have been working to find ways to coexist since they began negotiating a merger over a year ago, but there is still some animosity between the two sides. Phil Mickelson showed us the latest illustration of that.
There has been a lot of talk recently about certain LIV stars wanting to return to the PGA Tour when their massive contracts with the Saudi-backed league expire. During a recent appearance on KJR 93.3 FM in Seattle, former Masters champion Fred Couples said Brooks Koepka is one golfer who has expressed interest in rejoining the Tour.
“I talk to Brooks Koepka all the time. I love Brooks Koepka, and I’m not going to say anything extra except I talk to him all the time,” Couples said. “He wants to come back. I will say that I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour.”
Mickelson, who was one of the first global superstars to sign with LIV when the league launched in 2021, felt Couples’ comments were out of line. The six-time major champion blasted Couples in a social media post that he later deleted.
“If it’s not true he damaged a relationship which he cares about. If it is true he took away Brook’s (sic) control of the timeline and narrative. Either way this is a low class jerk move by Fred,” Mickelson wrote on X.
There is no love lost between Mickelson and Couples, so the reaction from Phil was hardly a surprise. Couples has been very outspoken against LIV players and has bashed the league’s product. He even called Mickelson a “nutbag” two years ago.
As for whether Koepka actually wants to return to the PGA Tour, that remains to be seen. The three-time PGA Championship winner has a reported $100 million contract with LIV that runs through 2025. Though LIV, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have been negotiating a merger since 2023, they continue to operate as separate entities.
It is unclear if LIV is going to offer top players like Koepka extensions that are comparable to the original deals they signed. That will likely go a long way in determining which golfers stay and which return to the Tour.
