Brooks Koepka spent most of Thursday at Trump National Doral doing what he does best: practicing. But instead of preparing for a tee time, the five-time major champion was waiting—hoping for a withdrawal as the second alternate at the Cadillac Championship in Miami. It never came.

After Jake Knapp withdrew, Kristoffer Reitan slid into the field. Koepka needed one more player to bow out. That didn't happen, leaving him on the range for the day. It's a familiar grind for Koepka, who rejoined the PGA Tour this year through the Returning Member Program after 3½ years with LIV Golf. Still in the penalty box, he can't accept sponsor invites and must play his way into Signature Events—a challenge he hasn't yet overcome.

But there's light ahead. Koepka is set for next week's alternate-field event in Myrtle Beach, a final tune-up before the PGA Championship, a tournament he's won three times. The return has come at a cost, but as Cameron Young noted after shooting a blistering eight-under 64 to take an early lead at Doral, "I think having Brooks back has been great. But honestly it's not for me to decide; I don't know what any of those guys are thinking about doing. I don't know what's going to happen with LIV."

That uncertainty now hangs over the entire golf world. On Thursday, LIV Golf issued a statement about securing long-term financial partners. A few hours later, the Saudi Public Investment Fund confirmed what had been rumored for weeks: PIF will fund LIV only through the 2026 season. The league that disrupted professional golf now faces its own existential questions.

Players at Doral were asked how PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp should handle potential returns from LIV players—whether this year or later. The answers were as unclear as the future itself. For now, Koepka's wait continues, and the rest of the golf world watches closely. One thing is certain: the landscape of the sport is shifting again.