PGA Tour creates ‘elite’ Returning Member Program; Brooks Koepka returning at Farmers

The road back to the PGA Tour for some members who broke with the tour and joined LIV Golf has been set.

The Tour announced the Returning Member Program on Monday afternoon, creating an expedited path back for LIV’s most accomplished players, starting with Brooks Koepka, who joined LIV in June 2022 but left the Saudi-backed circuit with a year remaining on his contract and reapplied for PGA Tour membership last week.

According to the new policy, which was announced in a memo sent to Tour members following a meeting of the Player Advisory Council, Koepka will be eligible to play this season on Tour with an assortment of stipulations.

The new policy is only open to players who have won a major or The Players Championship since 2022 and who have been away from the Tour for at least two years. That “elite performance-based criteria” limits those eligible to just four players: Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith. The Tour also narrowed the window for those interested in returning to the Tour, with a deadline of Feb. 2 to apply for reinstatement.

LIV is scheduled to begin its 2026 season on Feb. 4 in Saudi Arabia.

“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,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a memo to Tour members.

LIV Golf issued the following statement Monday afternoon on social media:

While Koepka’s path back was crystalized with Monday’s announcement, it’s unclear how the Tour’s move could impact LIV with other stars who would qualify under the policy. DeChambeau is entering the final year of his initial deal with LIV, but Rahm still has multiple years remaining on his contract.

Koepka’s immediate return to the Tour is likely a surprise to some, but the pathway back includes plenty of concessions.

Koepka will not be eligible to play in the signature events in 2026, but he can earn his way into the limited-field events via the Aon Next 10 or Swing 5 categories, or by being in the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking (Koepka is currently No. 244). The nine-time PGA Tour winner, who captured his fifth major title at the 2023 PGA Championship, is eligible for The Players and full-field events, like this month’s Farmers Insurance Open, where he is scheduled to play his first non-major, individual Tour-sanctioned event since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

“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. I also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those,” Koepka said in a statement.

Under the policy, Koepka is not eligible to receive equity grants from the Tour for five years and he is also ineligible to earn FedExCup bonuses even if he qualifies for this year’s playoffs.

“Forfeiting five years of potential equity in our Player Equity Program represents one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history — our estimations are that Brooks could miss out on approximately $50-85 million in potential earnings depending on his competitive performance and the growth of the Tour,” Rolapp said in the memo.

Koepka’s return to the Tour won’t impact players who would otherwise be exempt, with plans to expand fields, if needed, to accommodated the return of Koepka and, potentially, other members who joined LIV Golf.

For Rolapp and the Tour, the new policy is a savvy move that could potentially bring back some of the game’s best players and appease current Tour members who argued that those former members who violated the circuit’s policy by joining LIV Golf are punished.

“I have no problem with Brooks coming back, I have no problem with Bryson, Cam or Jon coming back,” Billy Horschel said. “I don’t have any animosity toward the guys. I don’t hold any grudges. For the players that do [hold grudges], the penalty for the sanctions gives those guys a little skin if that’s what they want. This is a really good thing for the PGA Tour.”

Not every player, however, was in favor of the move with one former Tour winner telling GolfChannel.com, “The Tour can’t stick to any decision they come to. This just proves what I’ve said for years about it being a multi-tiered system. If you can help the Tour, they will bend over backwards to accommodate you.”

Koepka will also be required to make a $5 million charitable donation and must play at least 15 events.

The policy board met last Thursday to discuss Koepka’s future with the Tour, and Koepka met with Rolapp in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Friday.

ESPN previously reported that Koepka’s reinstatement process would include “thoughtful input from the board, including player directors.”

Koepka was ranked No. 19 in the world when he left for LIV in June 2022, joining the circuit just before its second event, in Portland, Oregon. He won his first LIV title at the tour’s final later that year in Jeddah, then later became the first player to five wins when he captured LIV Greenbrier in August 2024. But Koepka didn’t just go winless last season; he endured one of his worst years as a pro, finishing runner-up at LIV Singapore but otherwise posting one other top-10 and seven finishes outside the top 30. In his final start with LIV, at LIV Indianapolis, Koepka placed solo 50th, beating just four players and solidifying his No. 31 finish in the season-long standings. Koepka’s team, Smash GC, ended up fourth, one year after a last-place finish. That squad will now be captained by Talor Gooch.

Most importantly, in the majors, Koepka missed three of four cuts for the first time in his career. He did, however, post a T-12 at the U.S. Open during a week in which he opened in 68 but was otherwise frustrated by a balky putter. But since winning at Oak Hill three years ago, Koepka has only posted one other top-25 in 10 tries.

On Dec. 23, Koepka released a statement through his management team, announcing that he was leaving LIV with one year left on his contract.

“Family has always guided Brooks’ decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home,” Koepka’s management team said in a statement last month. “Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead.”

After Koepka’s surprise decision, Rory McIlroy, who is no longer on the Tour’s policy board, said in the recent interview with the Palm Beach Post: “Does it make sense if Brooks wanted to play the PGA Tour again to get him back as soon as possible? Absolutely. What Brooks has done in the game of golf, it would be good for everyone to have him back.”