ST. LOUIS – Sam Burns never seriously considered leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf when the rival league launched in 2022.
But Burns also didn't hold it against the players who did.
Four years later, with LIV facing an uncertain future, Burns told OutKick in an exclusive interview that he would welcome stars like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau back on the PGA Tour.
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"I think it's best for the game of golf as a whole," Burns said. "And ultimately that's what I want as a competitor. You want to play against the best players every week."
Sam Burns and Bryson DeChambeau stand on the 18th green during the third round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, on July 18, 2026. (PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Burns also believes there will eventually be a way for those players to return.
"Ultimately, I think there will be a path back for those guys," Burns said. "I don't exactly know what it'll look like."
Burns lived through the split as one of the players who stayed put when LIV started throwing money around. Burns, a five-time PGA Tour winner currently ranked No. 7 in the world, has emerged as one of the top American players in the sport.
He spoke to OutKick at The Highlands Golf & Tennis in Forest Park, where he partnered with Raising Cane's to work with local kids ahead of this week's BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club.
PGA Tour golfer Sam Burns helps a young golfer with her setup during a promotional event in St. Louis. (Dan Zaksheske/OutKick)
Back in 2022, Burns' name briefly surfaced in rumors about players who could potentially defect to LIV. Burns quickly shot those rumors down and made clear that he never intended to leave the PGA Tour.
"I fully support the PGA Tour 100 percent," Burns said at the time. "It was a pretty easy decision for me."
But Burns took a much softer stance toward the players who chose differently.
"I don't really fault anyone for the decision that they make to go play another tour," Burns said.
Burns acknowledged that he didn't know the circumstances or life experiences that led other players to make that decision. He said he disagreed with their choice, but didn't believe that gave him reason to shame or hate them for it.
That position has largely remained unchanged four years later.
"I don't blame anyone for going," Burns told OutKick. "I think everyone has the freedom to kind of choose the path that they want to take. And ultimately, sometimes we make decisions with information that we have, and it doesn't pan out."
PGA Tour golfer Sam Burns speaks to kids during a promotional event in St. Louis. (Dan Zaksheske/OutKick)
And four years later, that last part looks a lot more relevant.
Brooks Koepka returned to the PGA Tour earlier this year after leaving LIV, though the path back wasn't exactly painless.
The PGA Tour created a one-time Returning Member Program for 2026 that included significant financial penalties and other restrictions for eligible players. Koepka accepted the terms and returned at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
The program has since closed and the Tour explicitly said it did not establish a guaranteed pathway for future LIV players who might want to return.
Meanwhile, LIV is going through major changes of its own. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund plans to end its financial backing after 2026, although LIV CEO Scott O'Neil said this month that the league has reached an agreement with a new lead investor to fund the circuit going forward.
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The league also announced this week that its 2026 season will end earlier than originally planned, with the Indianapolis event replacing the previously scheduled season-ending team championship.
Burns acknowledged that uncertainty.
"A lot of the LIV stuff is kind of up in the air right now," he said. "I don't really know the future of it."
Sam Burns represents Team USA during the 2024 Presidents Cup. (Eric Bolte/Imagn Images)
He also isn't pretending to know what a future return policy should look like.
"It's definitely a topic that's kind of over my head. There's a lot of things to figure out with it," Burns said.
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Whatever the PGA Tour decides to do, Burns knows what he wants: the best golfers competing against each other again.
"I think ultimately you'll see those guys back at some point," Burns said. "I don't know what the path will look like or their return to the PGA Tour. But as a fan of golf as well, I think it's great for our game."
Dan Zaksheske is a reporter at OutKick.
