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What to know about Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour after 4 years with LIV Golf

HONOLULU (AP) — Brooks Koepka becomes the first LIV Golf player to return to the PGA Tour under a one-time program for elite players.

It's not a free pass back to the PGA Tour. Koepka has to make a $5 million charitable donation. He won't be able to receive PGA Tour equity grants for five years. He isn't eligible for FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. And he can't receive sponsor exemptions into the $20 million signature events.

He plans to return in the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 29 at Torrey Pines in San Diego. He is eligible to reach the lucrative FedEx Cup postseason. He also is eligible for the Presidents Cup and for the indoor TGL circuit in Florida.

But the CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises, Brian Rolapp, said this was not a precedent and that only three other LIV Golf players were eligible to return.

Here's a rundown on Koepka's return and what it means for other players and the rest of golf.

How is Brooks Koepka able to come back to the PGA Tour?

The PGA Tour board developed a “Returning Member Program” that applies to players who have won majors or The Players Championship since 2022 and have been away from the PGA Tour for at least two years. Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, one year after he defected to LIV Golf for what Koepka had said was a deal worth at least $100 million. Koepka had one year left on his LIV contract when he and the Saudi-backed group agreed to an amicable split. Koepka is exempt through 2028 because of his PGA Championship win.

What are the financial repercussions?

That depends. The out-of-pocket expense is the $5 million donation to charity, which the tour will help decide. By not having access to equity grants, the tour estimates that could deprive him up to $63 million. That's based on Koepka averaging a top-30 finish the next five years, a 10-12% equity appreciation and Koepka holding his shares until age 50.

He also cannot get FedEx Cup bonus money from the $20 million pool distributed to the top 10 players after the regular season, and $23 million awarded to 50 players after the BMW Championship. But the Tour Championship is now official money, and that $40 million purse counts as official. Tommy Fleetwood earned $10 million in official money from winning the Tour Championship last year.

Who else is eligible?

Bryson DeChambeau won the 2024 U.S. Open. Jon Rahm wont he 2023 Masters. Cameron Smith won the British Open and The Players Championship in 2022. They are the only other players who can return to the PGA Tour. They have until Feb. 2 to accept. That's two days before LIV Golf begins a fifth season in Saudi Arabia.

Who does it leave out?

The PGA Tour did not clarify why it chose the 2022-25 window. LIV Golf began in 2022. But that rules out major champions Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA Championship), Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), Patrick Reed (2018 Masters) and Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters).

Also ineligible to return are Joaquin Niemann, a seven-time winner on LIV Golf, and Tyrrell Hatton, who has played on the last three Ryder Cup teams for Europe.

None of those players has expressed any desire to leave LIV.

Is this a precedent for future LIV players who want to return?

No. Rolapp described Koepka as a unique situation and made clear this would not be a precedent, rather a one-time program that applies only to elite champions. He also said there were no guarantees such a pathway would be available in the future.

What events can Koepka play on the PGA Tour?

Koepka is eligible for the four majors and The Players Championship (through his PGA Championship win), along with any full-field event on the schedule. He would have to qualify for the $20 million signature events through winning a tour event or through the two performance-based pathways, such as being among top 10 in the FedEx Cup not already eligible. But he cannot get a sponsor exemption to the signature events. He also is eligible for the FedEx Cup postseason if he qualifies.

If Koepka gets into a signature event, or if he qualifies for the postseason, the PGA Tour would add him to the field and take whoever would have been next in line. For example, he finishes among the top 70 to qualify for the postseason, the tour would take No. 71 in the FedEx Cup standings.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Brooks Koepka is coming back to the PGA Tour. Here's what some of his peers think

HONOLULU (AP) — Brooks Koepka was allowed to return to the PGA Tour on Monday after four years on Saudi-funded LIV Golf, and his fellow players weighed in on the tour's move.

Koepka is required to make a $5 million charity donation, does not have access to the Player Equity Program for five years and cannot get FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. He also cannot receive sponsor exemptions to the signature events.

He makes his return Jan. 29 in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Koepka

“There’s probably a mixed bag of, ‘We’re happy you’re back, welcome home’ to ‘You shouldn’t be here.’ I understand everybody’s point of view. I was going to be sitting out possibly a year, and I’m extremely thankful the tour gave me this opportunity.”

Billy Horschel

“I'm not shocked. I figured there would be a path back for these guys. ... For PGA Tour players who hold some animosity, who want to see some skin, this hopefully gives them what they want. And at the same time, it shows (LIV) guys there's a price you have to pay to come back.”

Gary Woodland

“I'm in a tough spot because I'm friends with Brooks. A lot of guys are friends with Brooks out here. A couple of years ago, there was a lot more hostility between the two tours. That's gone down. I'm happy for Brooks. I'm happy for the tour that we're finally getting to the point of moving past all this crap and getting back to golf.”

Brian Harman

“Like most guys, when you hear he's coming back, your first instinct is to be upset. But I think the punishment is real. It's not a free pass back into perfectly good graces. ... Your main thing is, 'Where’s the one-year suspension? Where's the time served?' I think that will be the hardest hurdle for PGA Tour players to get over. But $5 million is a lot.”

Jordan Spieth

“The punishment, no one knows exactly what it is until you see what happens with what the growth of equity becomes going forward. Could it end up being close to what he went to LIV for? Maybe. Probably not. But regardless, it's substantial enough that if he were to play well, then it would still be a penalty.”

Brian Rolapp, CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises

“This is a one-time, defined window and is not a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”

LIV Golf

“From the outset, LIV Golf has championed an open ecosystem and freedom, for all. Not just a limited few. One that supports players’ rights to compete across various platforms, reinforcing the belief that the growth of the game is best served when the game’s best players are empowered to seek the most competitive environments around the world.”

Brian Harman again

“In everything that happens, there's isn't all winners and all losers. There's some good and bad. The positive is the tour with Brooks Koepka is a stronger tour. Regardless of how you feel about him leaving the PGA Tour, regardless of how you feel about LIV Golf, the PGA Tour is stronger today. I find it to be an OK compromise.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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