Smylie Kaufman has suggested that he would be uncomfortable with Jon Rahm being eligible for the Championship Series on the PGA Tour in 2028 if the Spaniard has not faced any further penalties.
There was some clarity over Rahm’s future in the last week. The two-time major champion’s lawyer confirmed that Rahm is not planning to play on LIV Golf next year after the league filed for bankruptcy.
It remains to be seen what is next for the 31-year-old. Brian Rolapp recently suggested that the Returning Member Program that allowed Brooks Koepka to come back to the PGA Tour earlier this year would not be revived.
That would lead most to think that Rahm is likely to spend the 2027 season on the DP World Tour.
The PGA Tour warned about how it handles Jon Rahm’s return
Patrick Reed has earned his PGA Tour card for next year through the Race to Dubai. But should Rahm do the same, he would be heading back to a PGA Tour that is quite different to the one Koepka signed up for.
Koepka agreed that he could only feature in signature events in 2026 by earning his way into the field with his form on the course.
Rahm, on the other hand, will be eligible for the Championship Series should he earn a PGA Tour card over the next 12 months. Therefore, his schedule would only consist of elevated events.
And speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman suggested that he would not be in favour of Rahm’s only penalty being a one-year suspension from the PGA Tour.
“The last chance for the guys like Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith to come back to the PGA Tour, that offer’s done. You’re not getting that offer again. I don’t think the PGA Tour will bring Rahm back in 2027. I think it would look pretty weak, and I think it’s important for there to be a punishment in this instance,” he said.
“My question is, and maybe you can help work through this conversation, is he’s technically exempt on the Championship Series in 2028 due to his win at The Masters in 2023. And I wonder is there going to be more than a year suspension for Jon Rahm? Is there going to be anything else, if you’re exempt into this Championship Series, it just seems a little bit wrong to me that these guys can not only make all the money that they did on LIV and leave the PGA Tour in a vulnerable state, but then somehow come back to the best of what we have on the PGA Tour. Even though they are exempt for it, there’s going to be some type of negotiation for their punishment, correct? They’re not going to be able to just waltz back in, even though they had a year’s suspension?”
The problem the PGA Tour may face if they punish players too severely
The PGA Tour is in a difficult position when it comes to what to do with those who decide to leave LIV this year.
They could introduce a rule where those who spent 2026 on LIV can only reach the Championship Series by first going to the Challenger Series.
That would certainly increase interest in the second tier of the PGA Tour. It would also steal some attention away from the DP World Tour, which could be incredibly strong over the next couple of years.
However, that decision could backfire. No player is under an obligation to take a PGA Tour card if they finish in those top-10 spots on the DP World Tour. So they may decide that they would rather remain on the European circuit rather than play on the Challenger Series.