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Brooks Koepka is back.
That's the headline as the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open gets underway Thursday. The five-time major champion has returned from LIV Golf back to the traditional tour, and this is his first tournament back.
Koepka had been one of the key early departures for the upstart LIV Golf tour, leaving in 2022 to give LIV a former world number one to headline their events.
His contract with LIV Golf ended at the end of 2025, though, and that gave him the chance to consider his future.
In the end, Koepka opted to return to the PGA Tour, where he gets reacquainted as part of the Farmers Insurance Open and is already scheduled to play in the Waste Management Open, too.
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Why did Brooks Koepka leave LIV Golf?
The door opened for Koepka to leave LIV Golf at the end of 2025 because his contract with that tour was up.
He first announced that he was indeed leaving and that he intended to apply for reinstatement for the PGA Tour, but no one really knew what would happen, since this was an unprecedented situation.
The PGA Tour did eventually approve Koepka's return, and he wrote a heartfelt message on social media that sheds some light on why he wanted to come back.
"I want to thank my family and my team for their continued support throughout every step of my professional career," Koepka wrote on X. "When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the @PGATOUR, 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."
Koepka's return does come with some terms that the PGA Tour has put in place for him and other top players, should they choose to come back from LIV Golf.
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What punishments did PGA Tour give Brooks Koepka?
Some wondered whether there'd be a suspension of some sorts for Koepka, but that isn't the case.
Instead, the PGA Tour laid out some stipulations.
These were initially shared by reporter Dan Rapaport and apply to other former major champions or top players hoping to come back to the PGA Tour, as well:
- a $5 million charitable donation
- Ineligible for Player Equity Program for five years
- Ineligible for 2026 FedEx Cup bonus payout
- Is eligible for Presidents Cup and TGL
Those ineligible lines do have the potential to cost Koepka a good amount of money at the top end, but if he goes out and plays well in golf tournaments, finances shouldn't be an issue, especially coming off what is believed to have been a large contract during his time in LIV.
It'll be interesting to see how well Koepka plays and what his demeanor is like out on the course, but it seems like he'll be glad to be back on the PGA Tour.
MORE: How to watch Brooks Koepka golf at Farmers Insurance Open
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