Two mega PGA Tour stars in talks with LIV Golf over sensational moves

Two recent PGA Tour winners are reportedly in talks with LIV Golf — a move that could reignite tensions and reshape the sport’s balance once again

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Two of golf’s biggest names could be the next to make waves in the sport’s ongoing power struggle.

According to 'Golf Digest,' representatives for “two recent Tour winners” are in discussions regarding joining LIV Golf — and they might not be the only ones. Several mid-tier PGA Tour players are also reportedly weighing potential moves, despite LIV losses nearing $1.1 billion before its fifth season.

While the talks are still in early stages, the implications are significant. LIV Golf, the league that is making Donald Trump's major championship dreams a reality, has made a habit of courting recognizable names to strengthen its credibility alongside the PGA Tour.

Though these latest players might not be megastars, they’re notable enough to reignite debate over the future of professional golf — and whether the sport’s uneasy truce can last.

Among recent PGA Tour champions are Brian Campbell (John Deere Classic), Chris Gotterup (Genesis Scottish Open), William Mouw (ISCO Championship), Scottie Scheffler (The Open, BMW, and Procore Championships), Ryan Gerard (Barracuda), Kurt Kitayama (3M Open), Cameron Young (Wyndham), Justin Rose (FedEx St. Jude), Tommy Fleetwood (Tour Championship), and Steven Fisk (Sanderson Farms).

With so many active winners, speculation swirls over which names might be in LIV’s sights.

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The timing is no coincidence. Fall has become LIV’s unofficial “poaching season,” when agents field offers from the league’s deep-pocketed backers in Saudi Arabia.

It’s a familiar dilemma for PGA Tour leadership: stand firm and risk losing more talent, or find common ground and face accusations of hypocrisy. New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who took over earlier this year, now has the challenge of steering the Tour through another potential round of defections.

Tensions between the two sides have cooled somewhat since LIV’s explosive debut, but the rivalry remains simmering beneath the surface. Despite several attempts at “peace talks,” there’s been little progress toward a true merger or reconciliation.

And each rumor of a player departure — especially one involving recent winners — reignites questions about whether the PGA Tour can hold the line.

For the Tour, the issue isn’t just losing players. It’s about perception. Every departure chips away at its depth and raises uncomfortable questions about loyalty, legacy, and whether moral objections to LIV’s Saudi backing still hold weight.

Rolapp’s challenge is as much about optics as it is about competition — how to maintain credibility while facing off against a rival with virtually unlimited funds.

LIV, meanwhile, continues to insist its mission is to “reinvigorate the game.” Each new signing, however modest, helps the upstart league sustain the narrative that it’s here to stay. Critics argue those deals are driven more by money than innovation, and that accepting Saudi funding comes with undeniable moral baggage.

But for players nearing the twilight of their careers — or those struggling to break through on the PGA Tour — the chance at financial security is hard to ignore.