With Brooks Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour, it’s a reminder of one thing the PGA has that money can’t buy: legacy.
Saudi-backed LIV Golf has tested golfers’ loyalty to the PGA Tour since its inception in 2021 with massive contract offers to top stars. Koepka made the jump in June 2022 for a reported $130 million, according to Fox Sports.
On Dec. 23, 2025, LIV announced Koepka’s departure from the league. His contract had one year remaining worth over $100 million, according to ESPN.
On Jan. 29, Koepka made his return to the PGA, competing in the Farmers Insurance Open. He finished tied for 56th at four under par. He successfully made his first cut back on the Tour with a strong second round, highlighted by an eagle on the 17th hole of the Torrey Pines North Course.
The former world No. 1 currently sits at No. 252 in the Official World Golf Ranking, but his recent golf game wasn’t the main reason to bring him back to the Tour.
Koepka has long been a fan-favorite since his dominant stretch of four majors in three years from 2017-19, and his resurgent effort to win a fifth major at the PGA Championship in 2023.
ESPN elected to expand its coverage of Koepka’s return event, broadcasting the main feed of the first two rounds on its linear channel for the first time in 20 years.
His value was enough for the PGA Tour to announce the “Returning Member Program” on Jan. 12 to provide Koepka the opportunity to return. After a tumultuous few years, Brian Rolapp becoming the first-ever CEO of the PGA Tour in June 2025 seems to have helped right the ship.
It finally feels like the Tour is turning in the right direction. Allowing Koepka to return had a chance to be controversial, but the PGA presented penalties that were fair and did what was best for the fans while not costing any current golfers on the Tour any playing opportunities.
The program featured an ultra-exclusive criteria for golfers who have been off the Tour for more than two years and have won either a Major or The Players Championship since 2022. This criterion applied to just three other golfers, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith.
The window closed for this program on Monday, and none of the three joined Koepka in making a return (and likely were not contractually capable of leaving LIV). Still, it showed who the PGA is willing to work with to make a return to the Tour when the chance arises.
A day before Koepka’s return, Patrick Reed followed in his footsteps as he announced his departure from LIV to rejoin the PGA in 2027 as a past champion member. With nine wins on the Tour, he felt like the next domino to fall.
PGA’s new campaign featuring Koepka revolves around a clear and direct message to LIV Golf and its members: the Tour is “where the best belong.”
