LA JOLLA, Calif. — Brooks Koepka’s journey back to the PGA Tour began in heartbreak.
In September, while Koepka and his wife, Jena Sims, were in New York, she experienced a miscarriage at 16 weeks.
“Then that’s when I guess things started to change and evolve and just started to have those conversations of what’s best for my family,” Koepka said Tuesday in San Diego before his return to the PGA Tour.
After “amicable” discussions with LIV CEO Scott O’Neil and Saudi Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Koepka was released from his contract on Dec. 23, 2025. While Koepka did not disclose any details of how he exited his deal with LIV, he quickly said he’s “super grateful” for how LIV handled the situation.
Shortly after his release from LIV, the first person he called was Tiger Woods. Koepka said he hadn’t established a relationship with new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, so he went to Woods. Woods has become one of the most powerful figures behind the scenes of professional golf, serving as a PGA Tour policy board player director and vice chairman of the newly formed PGA Tour Enterprises.
“I felt like Tiger was somebody that I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to deal with things, and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me,” Koepka said.
When Koepka announced his departure from LIV on Dec. 23, he and LIV both cited his family as the primary reason. Koepka’s representatives said in a statement: “Family has always guided Brooks’s decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home.”
While most respected his privacy and let it remain ambiguous, Sims announced in October via Instagram that she experienced a pregnancy loss.
“At 16 weeks, we learned that our baby’s heart had stopped beating,” she wrote. “This is a grief no parent is ever prepared for. We are devastated, but remain hopeful to give Crew a sibling one day.” The couple’s son, Crew, is 2 1/2.
Multiple times throughout Tuesday’s news conference, Koepka spoke about the importance of having his family at events. For example, Jena and Crew will be in San Diego this week for the tournament.
“I think the ability to have my family out all the time,” he said. “I think that was one thing because they didn’t travel too much over the last few years.”
Many of the players who left for LIV in 2022 cited family as the reason for their departure from the PGA Tour. Stars like Dustin Johnson said, “For me, it was playing less, making more money. Pretty simple.”
However, by 2025, LIV played eight of 14 events outside the United States, traveling across the globe to places like Singapore, Korea, Australia and Saudi Arabia, among others. In 2026, nine tournaments will be outside the U.S.
That is on top of LIV players often needing to play on the European DP World Tour or other foreign tours to maintain OWGR points or keep Ryder Cup status. Koepka played four tournaments in Europe last fall.
“Just having my family around’s really important,” he reiterated. “I’ve grown up a lot over the last few years, and especially the last few months. Just being able to be close to them is super important to me.”
Koepka was able to return via the Returning Member Program that was created by the PGA Tour and swiftly formalized as a plan to lure Koepka and other top stars back. The offer — with an aggressive Feb. 2 deadline — is available only to golfers who competed outside the PGA Tour for at least two years and won a major championship or the Players Championship during the 2022-2025 seasons.
In addition to Koepka, the other three eligible players are Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith. There have been no indications that any of them are planning to accept, and Koepka said no players have asked him about taking the offer.
When asked if he thinks the PGA Tour should open the door to more players, he joked: “I’m two days back into this. I’m not trying to get into the politics of it all.”
In exchange for being able to return without a suspension, Koepka (and anyone else who accepts the offer) will make a $5 million charity donation, not receive any share of 2026 FedEx Cup money and will not be eligible for the PGA Tour’s player equity program until 2031. According to PGA Tour projections, Koepka could have been eligible for between $51 million and $85 million. On the other hand, Koepka accepted north of $100 million to join LIV.
Additionally, Koepka will not be eligible for any signature events (such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am or the Genesis Invitational) unless he qualifies via results. He is making his debut this week at the Farmers Insurance Open before going to Phoenix for the Waste Management Open.
Koepka left the PGA Tour to join LIV during the mass exodus of 2022, perhaps the most surprising addition of the initial wave. At the time, he was a four-time major winner struggling on the course while dealing with knee injuries.
However, shortly after joining LIV, he regained health and went on a resurgence. He finished T2 at the 2023 Masters and won the PGA Championship a month later for his fifth major.
In the two years since, Koepka has regressed. At 35, he finished inside the top 25 of one of his last eight majors. Even on LIV, Koepka had only two top 10 finishes in 2025. He currently ranks No. 162 in the world on DataGolf.
“I don’t regret anything I do,” Koepka said. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ve always enjoyed the ride, no matter where I’m at. I think that’s one thing that’s — you also learn from anything, anything you’re doing, so I have no regrets.”