Brooks Koepka’s return to PGA Tour will come at Farmers Insurance Open

Brooks Koepka was reinstated to the PGA Tour on Monday, and his return will come in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

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.

His return to the tour comes through the recently established Returning Member Program, which is “providing players who have achieved elite levels of performance an alternative path back to the highest tier of men’s professional golf.”

“I want to thank my family and my team for their continued support throughout every step of my professional career,” Koepka posted Monday on his social media. “When 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.”

Koepka’s 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.

“This is a great thing for the PGA Tour, the Farmers Insurance Open and San Diego,” said Marty Gorsich, CEO of The Century Club of San Diego, which runs the event. “I 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 — the same year he was second in the Masters.

“He’s 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.”

Koepka noted in his post that “I 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.”

Among the conditions for Koepka’s 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’s Player Equity Program. According to Golf Digest, that could cost him $50 million to $80 million.

Koepka made an estimated $150 to $165 million from LIV, including a signing bonus in excess of $100 million.

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.

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.

“We will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a letter to fans. “This is part of our commitment to fans, who expect the world’s best players to compete on the PGA TOUR week in and week out.”

The four most recent champions of the Farmers Insurance Open are among the early commitments for this year’s event.