The PGA Tour officially reinstated Brooks Koepka on Monday, January 12, 2026, following his departure from LIV Golf in late 2025. This decision was solidified after a meeting of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council and the creation of a specific Returning Member Program.
- Strategic Reinstatement Policy The new policy provides a one-time window for elite “major winners” to return, provided they apply by February 2, 2026. Currently, the only other golfers eligible under these specific performance criteria are Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith. Notably, the 2022 cutoff date appears to deliberately exclude Phil Mickelson, who won his last major in 2021.
- Financial and Competitive Conditions To return, Koepka agreed to significant sanctions described as “skin in the game” for those who left.
- Financials: A $5 million fine/donation and a five-year ban from the Tour’s new Player Equity Program.
- Access: While exempt for full-field events through 2028 (due to his 2023 PGA Championship win), he is ineligible for sponsor exemptions into Signature Events and must play his way into them through performance categories like the “Aon Next 10”.
3. Personal Motivation Koepka stated that the move was largely driven by a desire to be closer to home and spend more time with his family. He expressed excitement about returning to the Tour he “dreamed about” as a child and his belief in the Tour’s new investment-led leadership.