Brooks Koepka, 35, walked away from a reported nine-figure LIV Golf contract on Dec. 23, with a year remaining on his deal. After his surprising decision, he headed straight back to the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil said the league and Koepka "amicably and mutually agreed" he would no longer compete, adding that Koepka was "prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home."
Koepka's wife, Jena, announced in October that she suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks. Beyond the family matters, Koepka's results slipped. He finished 31st out of 54 players in LIV’s 2025 individual standings and missed the top 15 in his final eight events.
He applied for PGA Tour reinstatement almost immediately. After the holidays, the Tour invited him and his representatives to headquarters for a meeting, and he was welcomed back the following Monday.
The Tour didn't just hand him a badge and a tee time. Under its Returning Member Program, Koepka cannot receive Player Equity Program payouts from 2026 through 2030 and will forfeit FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. The Tour estimates the lost income at $50 million to $85 million. On top of that, he agreed to a $5 million charitable contribution, as confirmed in an official PGA Tour statement.
The Tour recently detailed where that money is going. The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation will receive $1 million. The foundation is the primary charity of the Cognizant Classic, which is being held beginning Thursday in Koepka’s hometown of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The next $1.5 million will be split among nine groups Koepka chose, including St. Jude, Best Buddies and the ALS Bridge Foundation, among others. The final $2.5 million will be distributed among charities selected by other PGA Tour players.
Koepka always dreamed of competing on the PGA Tour, but the road back won't be easy. After starting his 2026 season at the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open, the five-time major champion has plummeted to 255th in the world because he did not earn ranking points at LIV events.
He clearly has the talent to win again, but the Florida native is essentially starting his climb from the bottom of the rankings.