Brooks Koepka was reinstated to the PGA Tour on Monday, and his return will come in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.<\/p>\n
Koepka left the tour in 2022 to join LIV Golf. He discontinued his association with LIV last month, with a year left on his contract, and applied to be reinstated to the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n
His return to the tour comes through the recently established Returning Member Program, which is \u201cproviding players who have achieved elite levels of performance an alternative path back to the highest tier of men\u2019s professional golf.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank my family and my team for their continued support throughout every step of my professional career,\u201d Koepka posted Monday on his social media. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koepka\u2019s presence at Torrey Pines should give a boost to the Farmers Insurance Open, which is scheduled for Jan. 29 to Feb. 1. Koepka, 35, has been one of the biggest names in golf the past decade. This will be his fifth appearance in the Farmers. He missed the cut in 2022 when he last played here. Seven months earlier, Koepka tied for fourth place at the 2021 U.S. Open played at Torrey Pines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great thing for the PGA Tour, the Farmers Insurance Open and San Diego,\u201d said Marty Gorsich, CEO of The Century Club of San Diego, which runs the event. \u201cI think the crowds here at Torrey Pines are going to be excited to see a guy like Brooks, who as recently as 2023 won the PGA Championship \u2014 the same year he was second in the Masters.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a five-time major championship winner who has nine PGA Tour wins. Fans want to see the best players competing against each other as often as possible, and this is one more step in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koepka noted in his post that \u201cI believe in where the PGA Tour is headed with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake. I also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the conditions for Koepka\u2019s return: He will make a $5 million donation to charity and will not receive FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. He also will not be eligible to earn equity from the tour\u2019s Player Equity Program. According to Golf Digest, that could cost him $50 million to $80 million.<\/p>\n
The path back to the tour through the Returning Member Program has several conditions, including that a player be away for at least two years and have won The Players Championship, the Masters, the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and\/or the British Open over the past three years.<\/p>\n
The other three LIV Golf members who qualify are Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith. They have a Feb. 2 deadline to apply for reinstatement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger,\u201d PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a letter to fans. \u201cThis is part of our commitment to fans, who expect the world\u2019s best players to compete on the PGA TOUR week in and week out.\u201d<\/p>\n