Sometimes, the money comes with a price.
In 2022, many of the PGA Tour's most notable players made the jump to LIV Golf. Some of those stars signed deals in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That kind of cash comes with big-time pressure, and maybe some buyer's remorse.
In February, golf writer Alan Shipnuck reported that Brooks Koepka, one of LIV's big-ticket gets, was experiencing some of that remorse. But if Koepka wants out, it's going to cost a pretty penny — and a lot more than what he signed for.
MORE: Who is playing LIV Golf in 2023?
How much do LIV Golfers have to pay to get out of their contracts?
According to Sports Illustrated's Alex Miceli, should a player want to get out of his LIV Golf contract, then they'll have to pay back the organization "two, three or four times" the cost of their signing bonus.
So, for Koepka, he'd have to pay back LIV Golf up to $600 million — four times the amount of his original $150 million signing bonus. Dustin Johnson signed a similar deal when he joined the rebel golf league in 2022.
Some players reportedly are upset with LIV's potential expansion to 14 events a year from 10. They believe that their contracts are only guaranteed for the smaller number. Miceli reports that some players feel as though they should be compensated for those extra four events.
MORE: The biggest differences between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour
Koepka, who notoriously played a lighter schedule when he was on the PGA Tour, likely isn't thrilled with a potential expansion of LIV's slate, although he recently said he's fine with the way things are unfolding.
"I knew everything I was getting into," Koepka said regarding the possible move from 10 to 14 events.
Players who signed four-year deals will be under contract through the 2025 season. LIV has to become profitable before then, but a lack of sponsorships, low TV ratings and waning interest in the novelty from 2022 to 2023 cast doubt on that.
But the tour will get its money's worth out of their players, one way or the other.
