Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour. Under a new PGA Tour program, the five-time major champion will get to become a PGA Tour member once again following his recent departure from LIV Golf. But it’s going to cost him some money. A lot of money.
From a huge one-time donation to charity, FedEx Cup bonus limitations and Tour equity restrictions, Koepka’s potential losses — at least in terms of what he potentially could earn — could number in the tens of millions. Altogether, the Tour estimates Koepka’s penalty for rejoining the Tour could become “one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Koepka returns to PGA Tour under new Returning Member Program
In December, news broke that Koepka and LIV Golf had mutually agreed to part ways. It was a shocker at the time, especially since Koepka still had a year remaining on his contract.
Koepka initially signed with LIV Golf in 2022, representing one of the upstart league’s biggest gets. At that point, Koepka had nine career PGA Tour wins and four major titles.
In his three-and-a-half years with LIV, Koepka captured five individual LIV titles and became the first LIV player to win a major at the 2023 PGA Championship.
From LIV Golf’s inception, any PGA Tour player who joined LIV received a suspension from the Tour and racked up fines for every LIV event they played. That meant the pathway for any LIV golfer hoping to rejoin the PGA Tour was exceedingly narrow.
But the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program changes things dramatically for Koepka. Originally conceived after Koepka officially applied for reinstatement on Dec. 23, the program provides an “alternative path back to PGA Tour competition for past members who have achieved the highest accomplishments in the game,” according to a statement from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
In short, any LIV player who won a major title or Players Championship from 2022-2025 and has been away from the PGA Tour for two years is permitted to apply for reinstatement from Jan. 16-Feb. 2, 2026.
Koepka qualifies for the program thanks to his 2023 PGA win, and he’ll rejoin the PGA Tour in 2026 as a result.
But there will be a steep financial cost for Koepka’s move.
The financial repercussions of Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return
In his statement, Rolapp said the new Returning Player 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.”
The financial impact will be felt in three ways.
First, Koepka and any other pro who applies for reinstatement will be ineligible for 2026 FedEx Cup Bonus payouts (not including Tour Championship earnings).
Second, Koepka has agreed to make a $5 million charitable donation to an organisation he and the Tour will jointly determine.
The third form of penance could be the costliest. Players applying to the Returning Player Program will forfeit potential equity in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program for a period of five years.
According to the Tour, Koepka’s equity forfeiture represents “one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history.” How much exactly? The Tour projects it could cost Koepka anywhere from $55 million to $90 million.
With the FedEx Cup bonus money and charitable donation included, Koepka’s cost and lost earnings combined could surpass $100 million.
In his own statement about rejoining the PGA Tour, Koepka made it clear he’s fully on board with the financial repercussions involved with his decision.
“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 will make his official return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open Jan. 29-Feb. 1.
This article originated on Golf.com
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