Brooks Koepka is set to make his return to the PGA Tour in January, but under a new scheme that will have significant financial implications for the 35-year-old golfer. As part of his comeback, Koepka has agreed to donate $5 million (£3.7m) to charity and forego payment from the FedExCup Bonus scheme during the 2026 season.
The PGA Tour has offered Koepka an earlier route back on to the circuit, allowing him to make his debut at the Farmers Insurance Open in California in late January. The move is part of a new returning member programme that will be open to five-time major champion Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau after they completed their respective two-year absences from the tour.
However, Koepka's decision has also raised eyebrows, with some questioning the PGA Tour's motives in offering him a comeback deal without suspension time. The tour's chief executive, Brian Rolapp, has stated that the programme is a "one-time, defined window" and does not set a precedent for future situations.
The move comes as LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that Koepka left in 2022, is facing an uncertain future. The PGA Tour has been keen to bring back its top talent from LIV, with Rolapp acknowledging that it would be "hard to see LIV remaining viable" if their marquee stars do not have faith in the project.
Koepka's return will also come with significant financial penalties, including a loss of potential earnings and equity shares in PGA Tour enterprises. However, he has already banked big money from his time at LIV and may see the opportunity to compete in deeper tournaments as a tempting prospect.
The move is a potentially huge development for the PGA Tour, which has been seeking to reassert its dominance over LIV Golf. However, it remains to be seen how this will play out in practice, with many questions still unanswered about the tour's strategy and the implications of Koepka's return on the sport as a whole.
The PGA Tour has offered Koepka an earlier route back on to the circuit, allowing him to make his debut at the Farmers Insurance Open in California in late January. The move is part of a new returning member programme that will be open to five-time major champion Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau after they completed their respective two-year absences from the tour.
However, Koepka's decision has also raised eyebrows, with some questioning the PGA Tour's motives in offering him a comeback deal without suspension time. The tour's chief executive, Brian Rolapp, has stated that the programme is a "one-time, defined window" and does not set a precedent for future situations.
The move comes as LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that Koepka left in 2022, is facing an uncertain future. The PGA Tour has been keen to bring back its top talent from LIV, with Rolapp acknowledging that it would be "hard to see LIV remaining viable" if their marquee stars do not have faith in the project.
Koepka's return will also come with significant financial penalties, including a loss of potential earnings and equity shares in PGA Tour enterprises. However, he has already banked big money from his time at LIV and may see the opportunity to compete in deeper tournaments as a tempting prospect.
The move is a potentially huge development for the PGA Tour, which has been seeking to reassert its dominance over LIV Golf. However, it remains to be seen how this will play out in practice, with many questions still unanswered about the tour's strategy and the implications of Koepka's return on the sport as a whole.
he's literally donating $5 million to charity and giving up that fedex cup bonus money? like isn't that just gonna hurt his bank account even more 
and what's with the pga tour trying to lure him back in with deeper tournaments? doesn't he know that's just where the top pros are gonna be anyway 
i feel like they're trying to one-up liv golf or something but honestly i think brooks is making a smart move for his mental health and all 
anyway can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out!
! It shows that he's not just thinking about himself when he gets back onto the PGA Tour. But at the same time, I'm a bit curious - why does his comeback come with so many financial penalties? I mean, I get it, the tour wants to make sure its stars are committed to the cause, but is it too much for Koepka and others who leave LIV?
. I'm excited to see how this all plays out, but for now, it's just a big question mark 
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. the thing that has me wondering tho is if this new comeback deal sets a precedent for other players who wanna join pga tour after being away for 2 yrs or so...
to charity?? i mean i love the dude but what kinda deal is this? he's basically sacrificing his future earnings for some good vibes 
and it's still gonna be super hard for him to get back in the swing of things after being out for two years 
meanwhile lvs golf is just getting more and more toxic by the day and the pga tour is trying to poach all the best players 
this whole thing is a total mess
i mean its all good that brooks gets to play again but at what cost? his earnings might take a hit which would affect him and his fam so yeah thats a bummer 
. Brooks Koepka's gonna take that $5 mil donation and make it his own purpose, not just about the prize money 
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. We all gotta learn to move on, even when it hurts or feels like we're losing something 
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. It shows he's not just about makin' money, but also givin' back. But at the same time, some ppl might see it as a clever move to minimize financial losses 
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And what's with this 'defined window' nonsense from Rolapp? It sounds like a way for the PGA Tour to sweep things under the rug. Newsflash: it's not gonna be that easy to keep LIV Golf out of the picture now that Koepka's back in the fold...
It's all about understanding what motivates us & making sacrifices for what we value most 
This move by Brooks Koepka could be a game-changer for the PGA Tour, but it also raises some concerns about the tour's strategy and the implications on LIV Golf. Will Koepka's return make a huge impact or will it just benefit him in the short term? Only time will tell... 
. What's the deal with the FedExCup Bonus scheme, anyway? Do people actually get a lot of money from it?