Brooks Koepka is once again a member of the PGA Tour, with the Tour announcing the five-time major winner's return under the auspices of a new Returning Member Program.
Koepka will make his 2026 debut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, followed by the WM Phoenix Open.
“When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the PGA TOUR, and I am just as excited today to announce that I am returning to the PGA Tour,” Koepka said in the statement. “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."
Koepka will make a $5 million charitable donation to a charity of the Tour's choosing, and the commitment was made at the Tour's request.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp detailed the Returning Member Program in a memo to players, which was shared with the public.
"On Dec. 23, 2025, Brooks Koepka notified the PGA Tour that his previous affiliation had concluded, and he subsequently applied for reinstatement of Tour membership," Rolapp said. "This prompted our Boards to evaluate how we deliver the best version of the PGA Tour for our fans, players and partners — with severe and justified consequences — which has resulted in our new Returning Member Program."
The Returning Member Program is limited in its scope, making a pathway back to the PGA Tour available only to players who qualify. The program is for players who have not been a part of the PGA Tour for at least two years and have won one of the four majors or The Players during the 2022-2025 seasons. Players currently on LIV Golf who qualify for this program would be Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith.
The program is only available for a limited period of time. Players must apply between Jan. 12-Feb. 2, 2026, and this offer only applies to the 2026 season. The first 2026 LIV Golf event begins Feb. 4 in Saudi Arabia. A player could not apply for reinstatement in the window with the intent to return in 2027 or later.
Players can return to the PGA Tour under this program using the multi-year exemption they earned for winning a major championship or The Players, which is five years in all cases. Koepka's five-year exemption for winning the 2023 PGA Championship would end in 2028.
These playersw, who must play in a minimum of 15 FedEx Cup events, would be added to fields for which they qualify, and they would not replace any previously exempt players from competing. Fields would be expanded to accommodate these players at The Players (which is now 120 players), as well as standard and opposite-field events, to make sure pairings are even for threesomes and twosomes. These players would be eligible for Signature events but would have to qualify under existing critera and cannot receive a sponsor exemption into a Signature event. Returning members would be eligible to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs but will not impact another player's ranking eligibility for 2027. The players will not be eligible to earn 2026 FedEx Cup bonus pool money, which is paid at the conclusion of the BMW Championship, but they can qualify for, play in and earn money at the Tour Championship, which has a standalone $40 million purse.
The players are ineligible for the Recurring Equity Grants under the Player Equity Program for five years (2026-2030).
Rolapp encouraged the other eligible players to apply within the window, perhaps sensing an opportunity to take LIV Golf's biggest stars.
"This is a one-time, defined window and does not set a precedent for future situations," Rolapp wrote in his memo to members. "Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again."
