The PGA Tour on Monday confirmed Brooks Koepka’s reinstatement via the Returning Member Program. According to the latest ruling, any golfer who has won a major since 2022 currently playing on LIV Golf can re-join the American circuit. However, the players face a financial penalty to complete the move and Koepka is set to make a charitable donation of $5 million.
Apart from this, the 35-year-old also signed a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the tour’s Player Equity Program. Following this, Koepka has dubbed the penalty a “harsh punishment.” He admitted the $5 million fine “hurt” but accepted it. The former Smash GC skipper, who is expected to make his second PGA Tour debut at the Farmers Insurance Open on January 29, said the return pathway was “not supposed to be an easy path.”
The five-time major winner said he ‘understood exactly why the tour’ imposed the financial penalty. He further added that there were “no negotiating” in the matter.
Speaking about his return to the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka told AP:
“I’ve got a lot of work to do with some of the players. There’s definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry. It’s a harsh punishment financially. I understand exactly why the tour did that, it’s meant to hurt. But it hurt a lot of people. There was no negotiating. It’s meant to hurt, it does hurt, but I understand. It’s not supposed to be an easy path.
There’s a lot of people that were hurt by it when I left, and I understand that’s part of coming back… I needed to be there with my family over the last few months. I needed to be closer to home. I was able to get out of the LIV contract, everything lined up perfectly and I was able to get back on tour. I’m happy and grateful it was able to come to this.”
According to reports, Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour was finalized after he attended a meeting at the Tour HQ in Ponte Vedra, Florida this past Friday.
Brooks Koepka lauds the PGA Tour ahead of his return
Following the PGA Tour announcement, Brooks Koepka took to his social media to laud the American circuit. The nine-time Tour champion dubbed it a childhood dream to compete on the circuit despite leaving it for LIV Golf. He went on to address the Tour’s “new leadership and new investors” while also acknowledging the player equity program, which he is ineligible for.
Brooks Koepka said in a statement posted on X:
“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… Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me. 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.”
According to the PGA Tour memo sent to its members on Monday, Koepka is set to be on the Farmers Insurance Open field at Torrey Pines in California from January 29 to February 2. The ace golfer is also expected to compete at the WM Phoenix Open field at TPC Scottsdale.
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