Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf.
Now he returns to the PGA Tour in just two weeks.
And the Tour opens the door for the return of three other LIV stars.
On Monday, as the Tour kicked off the opening week of the 2026 season, new CEO Brian Rolapp met with players to announce the introduction of the “PGA Tour Returning Member Program.”
The Tour says the program is a response to two factors:
-Fan survey showing “a clear desire to see the best golfers compete together more often”
-And “timely inquiries from players who are not on the PGA Tour and express interest in returning”
But it’s simpler to put it this way: the Tour wants Brooks Koepka back. And now they’re making it happen.
That second point—those “timely questions”—presumably refers to Koepka, who gave the Tour a warning shortly before officially leaving LIV Golf on December 23, 2025. That decision (plus the PGA Tour’s immediate response) suggested that Koepka would return to play on the PGA Tour on some point. But Monday’s announcement means the return is immediate: Koepka has issued a statement saying he plans to play the Farmers Insurance Open in two weeks and the WM Phoenix Open the week after that.
So how does Koepka qualify, what penalties will he face, and who else could theoretically join him? Here’s what we know so far, laid out in the form of 10 questions and answers.
Who is eligible for this “Returning Member Program”?
The Tour says the program focuses on players “who have achieved elite performance-based criteria.” Its definition? Winners of a major championship or the players since the start of the 2022 season.
To be eligible, players must not have been members of the Tour for more than two years (Koepka did not reapply for Tour membership after the 2022 season) and must be able to comply with the Tour’s rules around media and conflicting events. They must meet a minimum of 15 events. And players must apply for reinstatement in the coming weeks; the period for this program closes on February 2, 2026.
Okay, so who specifically are we talking about?
Four players in total. Koepka is eligible thanks to his 2023 PGA Championship win. Bryson DeChambeau is too thanks to his 2024 US Open win. Jon Rahm won the 2023 Masters. And Cameron Smith won both the 2022 Open Championship and the 2022 Players Championship.
That doesn’t mean that any of the other three will strive for recovery. But it’s an interesting move by the Tour’s leadership to leave the door ajar – and it’ll be even more interesting to see if anyone else comes through.
So who are not what are we talking about?
LIV has brought in some major champions, but the 2022 cutoff eliminates a few notables who are ineligible. Specifically these four:
Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA Champion)
Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters Champion)
Patrick Reed (2018 Masters Champion)
Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters Champion)
It also doesn’t provide access for other talented LIV pros who haven’t won majors – guys like Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquin Niemann.
Wait, I thought LIV players faced suspensions if they wanted to return to the PGA Tour?
Yes – that had been the agreement. We heard that from Hudson Swafford and from Wesley Bryan and even from professionals who participated in the LIV Promotions event last week. But this is essentially an acknowledgment of the Tour. The rules are different when you’re Brooks Koepka. Why? Because the Tour is stronger when he plays on it. Here’s how Rolapp concluded his open letter to fans:
“We will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger. This is part of our commitment to fans, who expect the best players in the world to compete on the PGA Tour week in and week out.”
So Koepka just comes back in like nothing happened?!
Not quite – although the Tour knows many players will be asking exactly that question. Here’s a relevant excerpt from the Tour’s memo to players, which called it a “direct response to a unique situation”:
“We recognize that there may be questions about how this policy holds a returning player accountable, especially after he has earned substantial compensation elsewhere. Ultimately, by accepting membership in the Returning Member category, Brooks is now making the decision to return to the PGA TOUR – something our fans want, and something that strengthens both the game and our organization.”
But Koepka – and anyone who follows him – will be different from your average Tour player in two meaningful ways:
1. Returning members will not be eligible to receive Player Equity Program shares for the next five years (2026-30).
2. Returning members will not receive any payments from the FedExCup Bonus Program for the 2026 season
So he’s giving up money? How many?!
For starters, Koepka has agreed to the Tour’s request to donate $5 million to charity, “the recipient(s) of which will be determined jointly.”
The loss of five years of equity is harder to quantify, although Rolapp told the players that, based on performance, a player of Koepka’s caliber could give up between $50 and $60 million.
Koepka’s exclusion from the FedEx Cup bonus money theoretically costs him between $0 and $23 million, depending on his play.
But beyond the $5 million donation, Koepka’s punishment from the Tour comes in the form of limiting potential earnings rather than taking money out of his pocket. He is still eligible for prize money, even at the Tour Championship, should he qualify.
What did Brooks have to say about all this?
Koepka has been remarkably mum since announcing LIV and is letting others fill the void. But he released a statement to coincide with the Tour’s announcement, saying he will be back at both the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open. Here’s the rest of what he said:
I would like to thank my family and my team for their continued support throughout every step of my professional career.
Growing up, I always dreamed of playing on the PGA TOUR, and today I am just as excited to announce that I am returning to the PGA TOUR. Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.
I believe in where the PGA TOUR is going with new leadership, new investors and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake. I also understand and accept that there will be financial penalties associated with this decision.
Finally, I would like to thank the fans. Your support means more to me today than ever before, and I look forward to seeing you soon at the Farmers Insurance Open and WM Phoenix Open.
Will this encourage other players to leave for LIV, knowing they can just come back?
It’s possible someone is making a calculated guess, but I don’t think so. The Tour is holding this for VIPs only – four players is a tight entry category – and with an open period of around three weeks this isn’t suddenly a two-way street. Rolapp wants to make sure that doesn’t happen; this line in his letter made that clear:
This is a one-time, defined period and does not set a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.
Still, it would be interesting to see what would happen if a non-major winner contacts the Tour between now and February 2 – or if this will affect the upcoming disciplinary rulings surrounding players like Pat Perez, who hopes to play against the PGA Tour Champions.
Will Koepka’s return push other players off the field?
No. The Tour is clearly doing its utmost to avoid a midfield rebellion; eligibility and field sizes have already been trimmed, so bringing in an ex-LIV player and booting a loyal Tour pro from a field would ruffle some feathers.
Instead, when Koepka plays, he will be added to the field in a separate category “and will not affect the eligibility of other players.” The memo even suggested that an additional player or players could be added to the fields in addition to “Returning Members” to balance out tee times if necessary.
Returning members cannot receive sponsorship waivers for Signature events; they would only make it through play-in categories like the Aon Next 10 or Swing 5 (or by cracking the OWGR top 30).
And returning members are eligible to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but would not take the place of anyone else who did; they would expand the field with a player.
So – what does this mean?!
It means Brooks Koepka is coming back. It means Brian Rolapp is willing to shake things up. It means that other players in the Tour management (including Tiger Woods in particular) are happy to welcome him back. And it means the PGA Tour will welcome back one of its stars for the first time since LIV was founded in 2022 back.
Does it mean more than that? We’ll have to wait and see.
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