Patrick Reed believes players should be forced to earn their way onto the PGA Tour as LIV Golf liquidates.

Following the announcement that the PIF will withdraw financial support after the 2026 season, leading to LIV Golf's liquidation, numerous players, including Jon Rahm, are targeting a return to the DP World Tour for 2027.

But there was once a time when Rahm had a golden opportunity to directly reinsert himself onto the PGA Tour through the Returning Member Program, but the two-time major winner skipped out on the chance. Brooks Koepka was the only player to utilize the program at the beginning of the year.

Now, as LIV Golf slowly deteriorates, many of its top stars are aiming for a DP World Tour return, but Rahm would love to get straight onto the PGA Tour and wishes the organization would reopen the program that closed on February 2nd, 2026.

"With the PGA Tour, things are a little bit different," Rahm told reporters Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. "I haven't been able to speak to them yet. Until things are finalized, which should be hopefully soon, and then we'll see.

"I don't know what is in store for us. We know what they did with Brooks. This is different circumstances. I don't know what things are going to look like.

"But it's a pretty good safety net to have that I can play the DP World Tour next year, and if it comes to that, I'm really excited to play for a full year."

Under the terms of his agreement, Koepka forfeited player equity shares for five years, was excluded from the 2026 $100 million FedEx Cup bonus pool, and made a requested $5 million charitable contribution to the PGA Tour.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced that the program would not reopen as LIV Golf stars scramble for a place to compete. Reed, who has fulfilled his 2027 PGA Tour playing rights through the DP World Tour, said each player should earn their way back.

The Returning Member Program was not open to Reed at the beginning of the season. It allowed for only Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith.

"That's a hard question," said Reed. "I definitely feel like it's something that they are going to be looking into. How they do it is up to them. But I've always been a firm believer that if you've earned the right to play, and you qualify, you can play anywhere.

"Obviously with Jon's resumé and everything, it's one of those that obviously his team is going to be talking about the PGA Tour. I've always enjoyed playing with Jon.

"I've always been a firm believer that if you earned the right to play somewhere, you can go and play. We'll just have to wait and see."