Lanny Wadkins says LIV players shouldn’t return to PGA without fines or bans, opposing McIlroy’s view.

Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins has publicly rebuked McIlroy’s recent call to welcome back LIV players like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau without punishment, insisting that consequences are essential if the PGA Tour is to maintain credibility and fairness.

McIlroy, fresh off his 2025 Masters win at Augusta, shocked the golfing world earlier this year when he reversed his long-standing opposition to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League. Once its fiercest critic, the Northern Irishman now claims it’s time to reunite the fractured sport and let players return, provided they remain eligible.

“Life is about choices,” McIlroy said in January. “Guys made choices to go and play LIV. Guys made choices to stay here. It’s hard to punish people… having a diminished PGA Tour and a diminished LIV Tour is bad for both.”

But Wadkins, speaking on NBC Sports, strongly disagreed.

“I’d like to see Rahm, Koepka, and DeChambeau play more often,” he said. “That would be nice, but there’s also got to be repercussions.”

Wadkins didn’t hold back, arguing that the players who accepted huge contracts to leave the PGA for LIV shouldn’t be allowed to return on equal footing. “You can’t just go to LIV, take $100 million and walk back in and expect to have the same status you’ve always had. That’s not fair to the guys who stayed.”

The 1977 PGA Champion, now a respected commentator, went further, calling for tangible penalties. “Whether it’s fines, suspensions—whatever—for it to work. I’ll be damned if I can figure it out. Good luck to the guys trying.”

The Saudi-funded LIV Golf League upended professional golf when it launched in 2021, luring away top talent with guaranteed millions and fewer tournament obligations. Jon Rahm’s high-profile switch in 2022, while ranked world No.1, escalated tensions and triggered merger talks between LIV and the PGA Tour—negotiations that have now dragged on for nearly two years.

The division has been marked by bitter feuds, legal threats, and accusations of sportswashing due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Players who stayed loyal to the PGA have long felt betrayed by those who took the cash and ran.

McIlroy was once their figurehead. For two years, he publicly battled LIV’s legitimacy. Now, his softened stance has bewildered many, including legends like Nick Faldo and Wadkins. Faldo recently criticised LIV’s guaranteed-payment model for making golfers “soft,” and now Wadkins joins the chorus of discontent.

Despite McIlroy’s call for unity, his dramatic shift has exposed ongoing divisions. PGA officials remain under pressure to find a solution that satisfies both camps—those who stayed, and those who left. With figures like Rahm, Koepka, and DeChambeau still banned from key PGA events, the question of penalties or pardons remains unresolved.

Wadkins’ comments will resonate with many fans and players who still feel the PGA was undermined. His call for consequences, even if vague, reflects a sentiment that simply sweeping the LIV conflict under the rug risks undermining the sport’s integrity.

As golf’s leadership tries to stitch together a fractured future, stars past and present continue to shape the debate. While McIlroy urges unity, voices like Wadkins are demanding justice.