Gooch shared the news after finishing the second round of the Open Championship with a two-round score of 7-under par. He said he changed his mind about returning to the PGA when “the Tour suspended me,” referring to the PGA’s blanket suspension of any golfer who signed on with the Saudi-backed tour.

“Historically the Tour has not done that (suspend players)," Gooch explained. “So based on the history, that was my expectations.”

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports, one player on the PGA Tour expressed doubt that Gooch could be confused about the ramifications of joining LIV. The unnamed player said several golfers on the tour attended a meeting at the Honda Classic in February in which commissioner Jay Monahan threatened to ban players who defected.

MORE: LIV golfers at the Open Championship: Tracking scores for Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, others on 2022 leaderboard

“(Monahan) made it clear right off the top that if you’re going to play (the Super Golf League) walk out that door now,” the player told Yahoo! Sports. “He made the ban seem like it was in all capital letters.”

Gooch on Thursday also expressed hope the Tour and its established events would ultimately partner with the LIV circuit, ultimately resulting in players on the breakaway tour playing on the PGA Tour again. As it stands now, any golfers on the LIV Tour — including such names as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and more — will not be able to play on PGA Tour events.

The suspensions don’t extend to major events — the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or Open Championship — which are governed by separate entities (including the PGA Championship, which is governed by PGA of America). That said, LIV golfers’ ability to qualify for those events without being able to play the PGA Tour will be affected in coming years barring significant policy change.

Those LIV defectors who have won majors on the PGA Tour will have an easier time playing those events, considering they are awarded exemptions. That said, it is up to those tournaments’ discretion to allow LIV players into their events.

MORE: Who is playing LIV Golf? Updated list of PGA Tour defectors includes Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, others

Gooch has played both of the LIV’s events thus far in 2022, finishing ninth in the inaugural event in London and seventh in Portland. In the latter, he was a member of the four-member 4 Aces team that finished as the top-scoring team in the tournament.

There, Gooch compared Portland to the Ryder Cup and Presidenta Cup — events he had never played — saying he “can’t imagine there’s a whole hell of a lot of a difference.” That comment, he said, earned him appropriate backlash.

“A bunch of players came up, and they’re like, ‘Really? Really?’ I was like, ‘Hold on a second, guys. Give me a little break. I just won.’ I was in the moment,” Gooch said on Thursday. “I might have gotten a little aggressive with the comments.

“Maybe a little aggressive of a comment. Rightfully so, I’ve taken a little bit of heat for it.”