Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA Tour, made possible by a newly created PGA Tour rehabilitation program.
Nine-time PGA Tour winner Brooks Koepka is making an immediate return to the PGA Tour. After spending three years with LIV Golf, the American announced in December that he is leaving the Saudi Arabian Golf League and returning to the PGA Tour. This comeback was enabled by a rehabilitation program designed to allow top players a clean re-entry onto the PGA Tour. Koepka will make his return at the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January.
Strict Criteria for Re-entry
The criteria set by the PGA Tour are very exclusive, allowing only a limited number of players the opportunity to re-establish themselves on the Tour. According to the PGA Tour’s core philosophy, which is based on merit, only players who have not participated in the Tour for at least two years and have won one of THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, or the Open Championship between 2022 and 2025 qualify for the rehabilitation program. These criteria ensure that those who have achieved the highest performances in the sport can return to the PGA Tour, where the best players in the world compete week after week.
Koepka meets these requirements through his 2023 PGA Championship win and therefore is eligible to rejoin the PGA Tour immediately. He has already committed to his first tournaments, making his comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego at the end of January. Additionally, he will compete at the WM Phoenix Open in early February, aiming to win the \”People’s Open\” for a second time. On X, Koepka announced his comeback himself: \”As a kid, I always dreamed of playing on the PGA TOUR, and today I’m just as excited to announce my return. I believe in the direction the PGA TOUR is going with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players significant ownership stakes.\”
Severe Financial Penalties and Losses for Koepka
While the rehabilitation program provides eligible players a path back to the Tour, it also comes with significant financial consequences and losses. Koepka will have to pay $5,000,000 to a nonprofit organization to be announced soon; he will receive no FedExCup bonus payments for the 2026 season and will not be eligible to acquire shares in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program for the next five years. Depending on his competitive performance and the PGA Tour’s growth, Koepka may miss out on potential equity gains valued between $50 and $85 million. These measures aim to ensure fairness toward current PGA Tour players.
Returning players are allowed into tournaments where they can use their multi-year winner exemptions. For Koepka, that includes the PGA Championship, for which his 2023 win grants eligibility for five more years. However, Koepka is not eligible for sponsor exemptions for signature events and must qualify for these fields through existing routes such as the Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5, current-year tournament winners, or golfers ranked in the top 30 worldwide. Returning players must participate in at least 15 sponsored and approved tournaments in 2026.