Brooks Koepka understands the punishment he faces for his return from LIV Golf.
It wasn’t fun, but Koepka couldn’t resist. He knows it’s the cost of returning to the PGA Tour after several years with LIV Golf.
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“There’s no negotiation,” Koepka told AP’s Doug Ferguson on Monday night. “It hurts, it does, but I understand. It shouldn’t be an easy road. There were a lot of people who were hurt when I left and I understand that’s part of coming back.”
Koepka announced Monday that he will officially return to tour just weeks after his current contract with LIV Golf ends. When he first signed with the league, the contract was reportedly worth over $100 million.
The deal was completed as part of the new Returning Membership Program, which the PGA Tour created last week and announced Monday to bring Koepka and a select number of others back to the PGA Tour. Players who won a major or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025 are eligible to apply for reinstatement before Feb. 2 — which only applies to Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith.
As part of his penalty, Koepka must donate $5 million to charity. He won’t be eligible for FedEx Cup bonuses in 2026, he won’t be able to get sponsor exemptions for signature events, and he won’t be able to receive equity grants from the Tour for the next five years.
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The tour estimates Koepka could miss out on a total of $50 to $85 million in potential earnings.
The plan was approved by the PGA Tour’s board of directors last week. Koepka spoke on the phone with new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolland on Thursday night and then appeared alone at PGA Tour headquarters on Friday to further discuss the plan, the Associated Press reported.
As his time with LIV Golf progressed — Koepka complained publicly about the league last summer when the two sides officially parted ways in December with one year left on his contract — Koepka wanted out. Even if it comes at a huge cost, he clearly thinks it’s worth it.
“I needed to be with my family these past few months. I needed to be closer to home,” Koepka said. “I was able to get out of the LIV contract and everything fell into place perfectly and I was able to get back on tour.
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“I’m happy and grateful to have gotten to this point.”
So, how will he welcome him back?
Koepka will officially return later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open. He said he will also play in next month’s Phoenix Open, where he won his first tour event in 2015.
Koepka has won nine times on tour during his career, most recently at the 2023 PGA Championship. This is his fifth Grand Slam title.
While the tone regarding LIV Golf has certainly changed in recent months and years — it’s nowhere near as hostile as the Saudi-backed venture’s inception — Koepka knows he’ll still have to spend some time with tour members in the near future.
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“Me and some of the players have a lot of work to do,” Koepka said. “There’s bound to be people who are going to be happy, there’s bound to be people who are going to be angry… If there are people who are upset, I need to rebuild those relationships.”
When Koepka went on an outing to Torrey Pines a few weeks later, he knew it would be a strange feeling.
But he’s ready. After seeing everything going on between the Tour and LIV Golf, he must have known this was coming.
“I’m going to be a little nervous the first week,” Koepka said. “There’s a lot to do besides golf. I’m excited to put the first week behind me – dealing with the media, dealing with the players and then having some tougher conversations. But I’m looking forward to it.
“Am I nervous? Yes. Am I excited? Yes. In a weird way, I want to have these conversations.”
