Hudson Swafford, a former LIV Golf player, has been suspended by the PGA Tour until 2027, raising questions about the unusually long duration of his ban. He suspects the timeline was chosen to align with the end of contracts for major LIV players, hinting at a possible phased reintegration within professional golf’s fractured landscape.
Details surrounding Hudson Swafford’s suspension timeline
Swafford, who left the PGA Tour ahead of LIV Golf’s first event in 2022 and signed a long-term deal with the PIF-backed league, was relegated from LIV in 2024 after limited success. During his initial LIV season, he played five PGA Tour events without obtaining releases to compete simultaneously in conflicting tournaments. Unlike others such as James Piot and Laurie Canter—who served one-year suspensions before being allowed back onto the PGA Tour—Swafford’s suspension extends for several years, making his case particularly notable.
Since his departure, Swafford has been focusing on real estate but has not ruled out a return to competitive golf. He acknowledges that penalties were expected but finds the length of his suspension surprising and likely tied to broader league politics and future player returns.
Factors influencing the suspension period and potential return of high-profile players
Speaking on the SubPar podcast, Swafford explained that his ban is influenced by the contracts of prominent LIV players like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, which expire after the 2026 season. The PGA Tour appears to be structuring suspensions to accommodate these players’ potential reintegration. He remarked,
“We knew there would be some repercussions. I knew I’d be suspended for a little while. Didn’t know how long. There were definitely some unknowns there, but I didn’t think [the pro game] would be this fractured this long, to be honest with you. I don’t think any of us did.”
Although Swafford has maintained discussions with the PGA Tour, they have provided inconsistent messaging. The official suspension until January 2027 seems to correspond directly to the expiration of certain LIV contracts, which could lead to rule changes favoring player returns.
He further detailed the confusing state of suspension terms, noting that players like him receive a harsher penalty than others who weren’t fully established on the PGA Tour.
“I don’t know how you can come up with a five or five-and-a-half year suspension based on I played five events while the PGA Tour season was going on in ’22 that I wasn’t able to get [conflicting-event] released for. So they’re giving me a year for each of those – that’s how they came up with ’27,”
Swafford said.
Career struggles and the impact of injury on Swafford’s recent performance
Swafford’s relegation from LIV following underwhelming results in 2024 followed surgery on his right hip, which had already threatened his PGA Tour career in 2022. Despite the setbacks, he remains passionate about golf and is open to making a comeback, whether through traditional routes like Q-School or Monday qualifying events.
Currently ranked outside the world’s top 2,400 due to prolonged absence from official events that award world ranking points, Swafford believes that the situation could have been avoided if LIV had successfully secured Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Missed opportunity with LIV’s world-ranking application
During the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Swafford had a conversation with Peter Dawson, former chairman of the OWGR, about LIV’s failure to secure ranking points. He expressed disbelief at how LIV withdrew their application, which he said “felt like just giving up.”
“I’m like, ‘Why? You’re just giving up?’ I mean, we came over here on the consensus that you were going to fight for us no matter what. And then we just throw our hands up like ‘oh well, we didn’t get it.’ And it’s like, no, that’s kind of bull***t.” —Hudson Swafford, Professional Golfer
Swafford described Dawson as supportive of LIV gaining OWGR points, highlighting a discussion about the league’s turnover system and the need for an objective qualification process rather than players being selected based on agency connections.
“He said that if we had a definitive turnover and we knew that, and we knew that guys weren’t getting hand-picked to be on LIV because they were with the right agency, that kind of took away some credibility,”
Swafford recounted.
“He liked all those components and he wanted to give LIV world-ranking points, but I don’t know what was said – because I wasn’t in those meetings – but it just seems like things could have changed to get those world-ranking points.”
Uncertainty facing the future of PGA Tour events and eligibility categories
Swafford also questioned what the PGA Tour landscape may look like when he becomes eligible to return, citing concerns over the elimination of opposite-field events and reductions in overall field sizes. He suspects the past champions category might be discontinued beyond the current year, potentially narrowing pathways for players coming back from suspension or other hiatuses.
He remarked,
“I can come back and play in ’27, but what does ’27 on the PGA Tour really look like? Is it no more opposite field events? They’re already reducing fields. So I would go ahead and bet and say that the past champions category is pretty much done going forward after this year. We can agree or disagree, but it just seems like that and they’ve kind of told me that.”
Reflection on the divide within men’s professional golf and possible solutions
Swafford’s suspension and career trajectory highlight ongoing tensions in professional men’s golf following the shock announcement of the LIV/PGA Tour merger plans two years ago. He hinted at hopes for a more unified future but remains skeptical given the current fragmentation and uncertainty surrounding player returns and tournament eligibility.
Despite frustrations, he remains open to returning through traditional qualification means, demonstrating his continued commitment to the sport even as he navigates challenges caused by his suspension and the evolving golf ecosystem.