Masters champion follows Brooks Koepka's footsteps in ditching LIV for PGA return: 'Traditionalist at heart'

Another LIV golfer is headed backmost to wherever it each started.

Patrick Reed announced Wednesday that helium volition instrumentality to the PGA Tour aft spending the past 4 years successful the Saudi-backed league.

"I’m a traditionalist astatine heart, and I was calved to play connected the PGA TOUR, which is wherever my communicative began with my wife, Justine," the 2018 Masters champion wrote successful a lengthy station connected X.

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Patrick Reed of the United States celebrates with the trophy during the greenish overgarment ceremonial aft winning the 2018 Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club connected April 8, 2018, successful Augusta, Georgia. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Reed said the determination came aft "careful thought and consideration," and he’ll beryllium eligible to play connected the Tour aboriginal this year.

"I americium precise fortunate for the opportunities that person travel my mode and grateful for the beingness we person created. I americium moving guardant successful my career, and I look guardant to competing connected the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour. I can’t hold to get backmost retired determination and revisit immoderate of the champion places connected earth," Reed said.

"Over the past 4 years, I person learned a batch astir myself, astir who I americium and who I americium not, and for that I americium everlastingly grateful. To Dustin Johnson, The Aces, and LIV Golf, I privation to convey you for the memories we shared and created together. To play fans astir the world, I conscionable privation to convey you each for your continued enactment implicit the years. I conscionable inquire that you respect the determination we person made for our family, our children, and our future. Thank you for your continued support."

Reed is the 2nd golfer this period to instrumentality to the PGA Tour aft heading to LIV Golf. Five-time large victor Brooks Koepka, who won the 2023 PGA Championship portion with LIV, volition play successful this weekend’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed of the United States basal connected the ninth tee during the 2nd circular of the Travelers Championship astatine TPC River Highlands connected June 22, 2018 successful Cromwell, Connecticut.   (Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

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LIV announced precocious past twelvemonth that it would grow from its 54-hole format to 72 holes. The three-round format, on with guaranteed pay, had been cited arsenic a cardinal crushed for golfers to join.

But respective LIV stars, including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith, stuck by the league's side.

"I had nary idea, nary thought that that would happen." DeChambeau said of Koepka's decision. "No thought what the penalties would adjacent be. Right now, I've got a contract. I'm looking guardant to seeing what we tin bash astatine LIV Golf this year."

"I made a determination to travel retired present and walk much clip astatine home, and I'm not giving that away. I'll beryllium connected LIV for years to come," added Smith, who won the 2022 Open Championship soon earlier officially committing to LIV.

In August 2024, Rahm unopen down rumors of buyer’s remorse to Fox News Digital, and that inactive appears to beryllium the case.

"I'm not readying connected going anywhere. Very akin reply to what Bryson gave. I privation Brooks the best. As acold arsenic I'm concerned, I'm focused connected the league and my squad this year, and hopefully we tin repetition arsenic champions again," Rahm said.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Koepka’s instrumentality sparked the Returning Member Program for players who near the Tour and whitethorn determine to travel successful his footsteps.

Patrick Reed watches his tee changeable connected the 4th spread during the 3rd circular astatine the Masters play tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, successful Augusta, Ga.  (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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Rolapp said Koepka agreed to a fewer conditions upon his instrumentality to the PGA Tour. It included a "five-year forfeiture of imaginable equity successful the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program, representing 1 of the largest fiscal repercussions successful nonrecreational sports history, with estimations that helium could miss retired connected astir $50–85 cardinal successful imaginable earnings, depending connected his competitory show and the maturation of the Tour," according to Rolapp. 

Koepka volition besides marque a $5 cardinal charitable donation to an enactment yet to beryllium determined.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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