The PGA Tour will be going through a major change in 2027. But even before that, the field is expanding with each passing day. With the LIV golfers, who jumped ship earlier, coming back, the hype is shooting through the roof at the moment. However, while there have been some negative narratives on the return of stars like Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley added his name to the list of people who feel that the inclusion of the LIV stars is a bad thing.

“Honestly, I think it’s incredible. Yeah, there isn’t an aspect of my career that has suffered from any of this. If anything, everything’s way better for us. You know, the purses have gone way up. We’re playing a different schedule now. We’re all playing together at the same events. I have friends who went to LIV. And I have no issues. I never did,” said Bradley in a statement while in conversation on the Games With Names podcast. 

Surely, Bradley’s response was pretty straightforward when the host Julian Edelman asked him his opinion about the returning LIV golfers. In addition to welcoming the players, the 39-year-old golfer also provided a detailed explanation supporting the decision of those who jumped ship. 

The US golfer stated that sustaining a PGA Tour career is often a hectic job financially. A golfer had to manage the payments of a caddie, an agent, and a trainer, all while keeping in mind one’s own expenses. Thus, Bradley stated that when the PIF-backed league offered such a lot of money, it was natural for the golfers to feel tempted to switch their allegiance. He also pointed out that initially, LIV Golf brought chaos. But as their high pay scales got out in public, the PGA Tour, too, decided to up their payments. And that, according to Bradley, was a welcome change. 

Over the last couple of months, big names like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have been making the headlines. While Koepka has already been reinstated via the Returning Members Program, Reed will have to wait for his turn. But as these returns grabbed the spotlight, not everybody was as welcoming as Bradley. 

Michael Kim and others lash out at LIV golfers’ PGA Tour reinstatement

A lot of people seemed to be unhappy with the LIV golfers coming back. And Kim seems to be right at the top. Not breaking a sweat whatsoever, Koepka’s swift reinstatement angered Kim significantly. Speaking with the Mayo Media Network, Kim pointed out that such a stance from the PGA Tour will, in turn, affect the mindset of fellow golfers. 

“But there’s definitely going to be guys that say no, like, ‘Why did he get the big check and get to come back? I would have gone to LIV Q School and come back if that was okay.’ So, there’s definitely going to be some talk about it,” said Kim. 

He also brought up how Wesley Bryan was punished for playing a LIV-associated YouTube event. Despite it not being an official event, Bryan had to serve a one-year ban. Thus, such alleged double-standards, according to Kim, will raise fairness issues for the PGA Tour. 

And Kim was not alone. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, too, stated how Koepka shouldn’t have gotten away with just a fine. This would definitely set some wrong examples for the ones who have toiled hard and remained loyal to the PGA Tour.