Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour Return Raises Questions

Three weeks after announcing his departure from LIV Golf, the PGA Tour laid out the path for the five-time major champion to return. Bob Harig explains how it will work and addresses other remaining questions.

Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour is now set, just three weeks after he announced he was leaving LIV Golf.

The five-time major winner will return via what the PGA Tour calls a “Returning Member Program.” Koepka will pay a $5 million fine and forfeit other financial opportunities on Tour, and he will only be permitted to play in select events.

SI Golf’s Bob Harig explains what that all means—for Koepka, for potentially other LIV Golf players looking to switch tours and for current PGA Tour players.

What is the Returning Member Program?

The system announced Monday which will allow Brooks Koepka to return to the PGA Tour this month at the Farmers Insurance Open was put in place to deal with his specific situation and those of three other players who have won major championships since 2022—Cam Smith, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

Does this open the door for others to return to the PGA Tour?

Only Smith, Rahm and DeChambeau. And only if they do so by Feb. 2, which appears unlikely. The wording suggests this was done for players who would have exempt status on the PGA Tour due to their recent major championship wins. Koepka, via his 2023 PGA Championship title, is exempt on the PGA Tour through 2028. Those three players are contracted with LIV for 2026 and have given no indication they are looking to leave LIV Golf.

Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau (background) have given no indication that they are looking to leave LIV Golf. / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Doesn’t this make it easier for a player to go to LIV, knowing there is a way back?

Possibly, but PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s statement said this is a one-time offer and does not set a precedent for future players. And the fact that those being offered the opportunity to come back had to be gone for at least two years does, in theory, set a precedent. Nobody who leaves now is going to be allowed to come back in a year, presumably.

What are Koepka’s actual penalties?

He is paying a $5 million fine that will go to charity; he is precluded from getting equity in PGA Tour Enterprises for five years, which takes him to age 40 and possibly could cost him millions; he can’t get sponsor invites to the signature events, although he is allowed to qualify for them; and he can’t get any FedEx Cup bonus money, although he can earn prize money at those events.

Should PGA Tour players be upset that Koepka is coming back?

Some undoubtedly will be. Perhaps those who decided not to take LIV offers will be second-guessing themselves. But in terms of playing opportunities, nobody loses out. Koepka is being added to the fields of every event he enters including the playoffs if he qualifies for them.

Which tournaments are Koepka eligible for?

He can play all four major championships, the Players Championship, and any regular full-field Tour event. He is only eligible for the signature events for which he qualifies via the Aon 5/10 criteria for getting into those events. And if he is top 70 in FedEx Cup points, he will qualify for the first playoff event, with his spot added to the field.

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Are there any other requirements of Koepka?

Yes, in order to retain his membership, he is required to play 15 events, which includes the majors and the Players. With the Farmers and WM Phoenix Open, he will already be up to seven.

Where else might Koepka play?

Without being eligible—to start—for the signature events, his hometown Cognizant Classic seems a good bet. So does the Valspar Championship, which follows the Players and is three weeks prior to the Masters. If he’s not in other signature events, he’s a good bet for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the RBC Canadian Open and the Genesis Scottish Open.

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