Brooks Koepka Seeks PGA Tour Reinstatement After LIV Departure
Just a little over two weeks after leaving LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has initiated the process to regain his PGA Tour membership.
The PGA Tour is expected to suspend players who participate in rival leagues, even if they do not currently hold membership.
Two individuals familiar with Koepka’s situation confirmed on Friday that he has begun his application for return. They chose to remain anonymous as the details haven’t been publicly disclosed yet. His manager, Blake Smith of Hambrick Sports, stated he couldn’t comment at the moment.
Reports by ESPN highlighted Koepka’s application. Notably, Koepka still has a year left on his contract with LIV, but he was officially announced as no longer part of the LIV Golf League on December 23. Taylor Gooch is set to take over as captain of Smash.
LIV Golf’s CEO, Scott O’Neill, described the split as mutual and amicable, emphasizing that “Brooks intends to prioritize family needs and stay close to home.”
PGA Tour regulations require players to be absent for a year after their last LIV appearance. However, this rule has been flexible for non-members such as Rory Canter, who qualified for The Players Championship a little over a year after his last LIV event in Las Vegas.
Brian Lorup, who became PGA Tour Enterprises’ CEO last summer, will make initial decisions regarding the pathway for LIV players wishing to return. Lorup will consider Koepka’s case alongside the policy committee and player director, which includes Tiger Woods, who heads the Future Competition Commission.
Players like Koepka who left for LIV and could be seen as having harmed the tour may face penalties, although the tour typically does not disclose details about such discipline.
This application comes right after Lorup’s memo informing players about the expansion of the player equity program. Koepka had already been involved with LIV when this program initially launched, and the first equity grant was awarded in April 2024.
Koepka’s exit from the PGA Tour in June 2022 was unexpected. He had attended a corporate event the week prior, rallying top players to support the PGA Tour.
Injuries, particularly to his knee and left hip, had put him in a tough position previously. However, he managed to recover and won in Saudi Arabia in late 2022, making history as the first LIV player to clinch a major title at the 2023 PGA Championship.
He hinted that he might have opted out of LIV if he had been more certain about his health. Additionally, Koepka expressed disappointment that rival leagues didn’t progress as much as anticipated last year. The statement following his departure noted that his family has always influenced his decisions, and right now, he feels it’s important to spend more time at home.
In a personal note, his wife Jenna shared in October that she had experienced a miscarriage. The couple has a two-year-old son.
The PGA Tour offers a five-year exemption for major winners, which would extend to 2028 if Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship victory is recognized. The Tour’s course of action remains undecided.
Next week, the PGA Tour season kicks off with the Sony Open, followed by the American Express in California and the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The Phoenix Open is on the horizon as well, where Koepka celebrated his first PGA Tour victory in 2015 and added another win in 2021.
