Jon Rahm Would Accept Koepka-Style Penalties to Return

Jon Rahm says he'd take the same penalties Brooks Koepka accepted to get back on the PGA Tour. The two-time major champion said Tuesday in Abu Dhabi that he'd "most likely" do it, but he doubts the Tour will offer him the same deal.

That's the whole story in one sentence. Rahm walked away from LIV Golf in October, and now he's waiting to find out if the PGA Tour door is open, half open or shut for a year.

What Rahm Said About Koepka's Deal

"Why not? Yeah, but it's a big if," Rahm told reporters at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. "I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did. But yeah, if I got offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes."

Koepka came back in January through the Tour's Returning Member Program. He gave up player equity shares for five years, wasn't eligible for the $100 million FedEx Cup bonus program in 2026 and made a $5 million charity donation at the Tour's request, as ESPN reported. The catch is that commissioner Brian Rolapp called it a one-time window, and he's since said the Tour has no plans to bring it back.

Rahm also said he hasn't talked to the PGA Tour yet, partly because of the recent birth of his fourth child.

Why He Left LIV

Rahm reached a separation agreement with LIV on Oct. 15 and reportedly walked away from more than $100 million still owed to him. He said he only looks back on his three years there as positive, but he didn't like where LIV 2.0 was headed.

"I just wasn't willing to follow that path," Rahm said.

What's Next for Rahm

If the PGA Tour makes him sit a year, like Patrick Reed and others had to, Rahm's ready to play a full DP World Tour season in 2027. He called that a "pretty good safety net," and honestly, he's not wrong.

First up is golf. Rahm makes his Yas Links debut this week at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, Nov. 5 to 8, the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs. Rory McIlroy and defending champion Aaron Rai are in that field, and Rahm's already said he'll head to Dubai the week after.

For fans who've wanted Rahm back at regular PGA Tour stops, Tuesday was the most hopeful thing he's said yet. Whether the Tour wants him back on Koepka's terms is the question nobody can answer yet.