Bubba Watson and Anthony Kim: Should the PGA Tour take them back if LIV folds?

When Brooks Koepka announced his departure from LIV Golf, the PGA Tour was put into a difficult position.

While it was important to punish Koepka for jumping ship to the competition, the PGA Tour could not deny that having the five-time major champion back would be a boost.

There is a debate to be had about the terms offered to Koepka. And it seems that plenty of tough decisions may be just around the corner for Brian Rolapp with LIV Golf’s future in serious doubt.

Jon Rahm is now expected to leave LIV, according to The Telegraph. That could be a big problem, with the league’s prospective investors wanting all of the big names to commit to hanging around before they sign on the dotted line and fund the 2027 season.

The timing could hardly be better for the PGA Tour, with the tour set to be split in two from 2028.

There are some LIV names you would expect to see on the Championship Series before too long, with the likes of Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Cam Smith all 32 or younger.

But the big boost could come to the Challenger Series, the prospective second tier. Many will remember Rory McIlroy suggesting that tournaments at that level will largely be glorified Korn Ferry Tour events.

Making the Challenger Series a success is not going to be easy. LIV Golf have shown how difficult it can be for a tour to gain real momentum when they do not have the biggest stars in the game.

So there is an argument that the PGA Tour would be cutting its nose off to spite its face – something the tour avoided with Koepka – if it did not allow the likes of Anthony Kim and Bubba Watson to play on the Challenger Series should they leave LIV anytime soon.

Kim has turned into one of LIV’s biggest success stories. The league’s greatest moment undoubtedly came when he won in Adelaide earlier this year.

His inconsistency suggests that he would struggle at the highest level. But there remains an element of intrigue surrounding how he would fare back on the PGA Tour.

Elsewhere, Bubba Watson remains one of the most recognisable names in the game. The 47-year-old has been hugely popular with fans throughout his career.

Like Kim, he is not the player he once was. Nevertheless, his presence would help bring eyeballs to a Challenger Series that is going to lack big names.

Obviously, it is hard to make the case that any LIV player will transform the Challenger Series when the league is in serious danger of extinction little more than four years after their inaugural event.

But there will be plenty of interest in seeing how these notable names fare against some of the brightest prospects on the PGA Tour. It should also help raise the profile of the younger players they are competing against.

The PGA Tour needs to penalise all of those players who look to return from LIV if the league folds in the coming months.

But perhaps the penalties should be more lenient for those willing to go onto the Challenger Series and work their way up the ladder, potentially with a suspension they must serve before they are able to even qualify for the top tier.

Casual golf fans are surely much more likely to watch a Challenger Series event that has Bubba Watson and Anthony Kim in the field – as much as some may not like to admit it.