Brooks Koepka Cleared For Return To The PGA Tour – What To Know
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 15: Brooks Koepka of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland on the 11th green during the first round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka was reinstated to the PGA Tour on Monday. Koepka’s reinstatement will be effective immediately as part of the PGA Tour’s new Returning Member Program, announced Monday by new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
Koepka is set to make his return at the Farmers Insurance Openheld Jan. 29 – Feb. 1 at Torrey Pines, just outside San Diego. Koepka also stated that he will be playing in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, held Feb. 5-8, at TPC Scottsdale.
The nine-time PGA Tour winner is eligible for reinstatement under the new Returning Member Program. In a statement, Koepka said he has agreed to the terms for his reinstatement. “When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the PGA TOUR, and I am just as excited today to announce that I am returning to the PGA TOUR. I believe in where the PGA TOUR is headed with new leadership, new investors and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake.”
Returning Member Program
On Monday, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp issued a statement about the tour’s new Returning Member Program, which is how Koepka will be able to compete this season. In it, Rolapp explained the new program saying, “Designed to provide an alternative path back to PGA TOUR competition for past members who have achieved the highest accomplishments in the game, the Returning Member Program mandates heavy and appropriate limitations to both tournament access and potential earnings that we believe properly holds returning members accountable for substantial compensation earned elsewhere. It also includes elite performance-based criteria that requires winning THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship between 2022 and 2025.”
This new program would open the door for three other LIV players to possibly make the jump back to the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith would qualify based on the criteria. They have until February 2 to make that decision. “This is a one-time, defined window and does not set a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.” Rolapp stated in his message.
Other Requirements For Koepka’s Return
There were other aspects to Koepka’s return as well. Rolapp also discussed those in his message to fans stating, “Its strict limitations, which Brooks has agreed to, include a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA TOUR’s Player Equity Program, representing one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history, with estimations that he could miss out on approximately $50-85 million in potential earnings, depending on his competitive performance and the growth of the TOUR. At the request of the PGA TOUR, Brooks has also agreed to make a $5 million charitable contribution, the recipient(s) of which will be determined jointly.”
As Brooks Koepka prepares for his PGA Tour return in a few weeks, there are multiple question marks that remain to be seen from Monday’s announcement. The first of which is what kinda shape is Koepka’s game in? He has been dealing with some lingering knee issues and did not have a good 2025 season.
The second question stems from the February 2nd deadline for the other three LIV golfers to jump back to the PGA Tour. While it seems like a longshot that any of them will leave LIFE Golfif any of them do, it will be a huge blow to a league that is already floundering in its fourth year.
Mike is a founding member of Break80 Golf and a contributing golf and sports writer for Forbes with PGA Tour and LIV Golf media credentials.
