Steve Stricker Backs LIV Stars on Champions Tour Despite Growing Player Pushback

A quiet battle is unfolding inside the PGA Tour Champions locker room.

Steve Stricker, one of the most respected figures in senior golf, is pushing to bring former LIV Golf stars onto the circuit.

He believes players like Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood would energize the tour.

Stricker has told people close to the situation that Poulter and Westwood "would be hits here on the Champions Tour."

He has also said "this tour could use that" — referring to the buzz and fan interest those names generate.

But not everyone agrees.

Steven Alker, a two-time season-long points champion, revealed that the locker room is deeply divided.

Speaking ahead of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Alker did not hold back.

"It's a Catch-22," he told reporters.

"We want players to keep the profile of the tour up. And then you got guys on the tour who don't want those guys at all."

Alker said the issue has been discussed extensively on the Player Advisory Council.

"I'm not gonna name names, but that has been talked about on the PAC board and that's an ongoing thing," he said.

"Where do you draw the line? Who you should be penalized more than some other guy, you know?

"I think that's going on right now. Some guys have gotten six months, some guys got a year. Do we change the rules for those guys coming out? There's a lot of talk going on right now."

Alker described the membership as "very split."

At the center of the debate is a fundamental question about identity.

The PGA Tour Champions is a senior circuit for players aged 50 and older.

It has traditionally been a place where legends finish their careers in a competitive but collegial atmosphere.

Golf carts and shorter rounds make it more accessible for aging bodies.

The tour has struggled for mainstream attention in recent years.

Tiger Woods turning 50 in December 2025 has generated enormous excitement.

Woods is seriously considering competing on the Champions Tour next season, according to multiple reports.

Alker confirmed the buzz in the locker room.

"I seriously think he'll come out if he gets fit and in the right mind," Alker said.

Woods has a specific goal: winning the U.S. Senior Open.

He is currently tied with Bobby Jones at nine USGA national championships.

A victory at the U.S. Senior Open would give him his tenth and put him ahead of Jones.

Woods has been limited by injuries in recent years, making the senior circuit an attractive option.

Stricker and Jim Furyk both host invitationals that would fit Woods' schedule.

But the LIV Golf question is complicating everything.

Several former LIV stars are either already 50 or approaching that age.

Ian Poulter made his Champions Tour debut at the U.S. Senior Open earlier this year.

He finished fourth at Scioto Country Club, showing he can still compete at a high level.

Henrik Stenson turned 50 in April and has already been competing on the tour as a non-member.

He left LIV Golf in August 2025.

Lee Westwood is another former LIV player who could target the senior circuit.

Westwood has not made a decision yet.

"I currently am unemployed. I haven't signed up to anything anywhere. So, yeah, I haven't made a decision on anything yet," he said on the Chipping Forecast podcast.

He could return to the DP World Tour, but would have to serve a ten-tournament suspension.

The deadline for that decision is November 12.

Sergio Garcia still has a few years before turning 50, but he could also target the Champions Tour down the road.

His immediate focus is on a DP World Tour return in 2027.

The debate among Champions Tour players comes down to two competing priorities.

Some players want recognizable names to bring more eyes and money to the tour.

Others refuse to welcome golfers who left for lucrative LIV contracts.

The LIV Golf league launched in 2022, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

It lured top players with guaranteed contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.

The PGA Tour responded by suspending players who joined LIV without releases.

A framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF was announced in June 2023.

But no final deal has been reached, leaving the golf landscape in limbo.

Some LIV defectors have already returned to the PGA Tour.

Patrick Reed left LIV in August 2025, served a suspension, and earned his PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour.

Brooks Koepka agreed to forfeit five years of player equity, a sacrifice projected to cost between $50 million and $85 million.

Jon Rahm is hoping to find a route back to the PGA Tour in 2027.

He announced on October 7 that he would not pursue LIV Golf's proposed 2027 model.

Rahm identified the PGA Tour as his preferred destination.

But he admitted Tuesday that no discussions about a possible return had taken place.

"I have yet to have a discussion with the PGA Tour to see if there's any path back for next year," Rahm said.

"So I don't know, as of right now."

His alternative is a full season on the DP World Tour, where a top-10 finish in the Race to Dubai standings would earn him a PGA Tour card.

Rahm has said he would accept the same penalties imposed on Koepka.

"Most likely, yeah. Why not? But it's a big if. I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did. But yeah, if I did get offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes," he said.

Patrick Reed weighed in on the Rahm situation at his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship.

"That's a hard question," Reed said when asked if the PGA Tour should reach an agreement with Rahm.

"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."

Reed pointed to Rahm's impressive résumé as a reason the conversation was inevitable.

He added that he had "always enjoyed playing with Jon."

The Champions Tour faces its own version of this dilemma.

Stricker's position puts him at odds with a significant portion of the membership.

The tour's president and player directors will ultimately decide the rules for returning LIV players.

Alker acknowledged that the issue is far from settled.

"That's up to the player directors and our president, you know, for where that goes," he said.

"But I can tell you there are talks going on. And I know it's very split."

The current season ends next week with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club.

But the 2027 campaign is already causing heated debates.

The tour needs to decide if past choices matter more than future revenue.

Stricker appears to have made his choice.