Now that Brooks Koepka is leaving LIV Golf, what's next for him?
Tom D'Angelo- Brooks Koepka has become the first major player to leave the LIV Golf league, citing family reasons.
- Koepka remains exempt for several upcoming major championships, including a lifetime exemption for the PGA Championship.
- To rejoin the PGA Tour, Koepka must re-apply for membership and could face a fine or suspension.
- Koepka had previously expressed frustration with LIV Golf's progress and struggled in the most recent season.
Now that Brooks Koepka has become the first big name to leave LIV Golf, what happens next for the five-time major champion?
Do not be surprised to see him back on the PGA Tour in the future.
Koepka, 35, announced in a Dec. 23 statement released by LIV Golf he was leaving the Saudi-backed league, “prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home.” The breakup was "amiable," according to the statement.
"Family has always guided Brooks’ decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home," part of the statement read. Koepka's wife, Jena, said she had a miscarriage in an Instagram post earlier this year.
Unknown is Koepka's desire to continue to play golf competitively after taking time away from the game. But most athletes, especially those as competitive and driven as Koepka was while rising to No. 1 in world during his remarkable stretch of major championships, eventually find their way back to what they have done most of their lives, especially those young enough to remain competitive.
"Brooks remains passionate about the game," part of the statement read.
Brooks Koepka's eligibility for PGA Tour majors
When it comes to the majors, Koepka is exempt into the British Open through 2027, for the Masters and U.S. Open through 2028, and for life for the PGA Championship as a three-time winner.
Now, it's up to the PGA Tour, which has suspended those who competed in LIV events but can do anything it wants when it comes to those who have left the Saudi-backed league and want to return.
The Tour, curiously, released a statement following Koepka's announcement wishing him well.
“Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success,” it said. “The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness.”
Koepka must first re-apply for membership. Then it is up to the Tour to decided on any punishment, in form of a fine or suspension. Koepka's, or anyone else's desire to return, likely will not come without a hefty cost.
Tour players certainly will not be very forgiving when welcoming back those who defected for a money grab.
Still, the guess here is Koepka will be back on the PGA Tour at some point, whether it's this season or 2027, where we could see him return to playing the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
Brooks Koepka expressed frustration with LIV this year
By all appearances, Koepka never was fully bought-in when it comes to LIV. He joined after the tour's first event, a decision many believed had as much to do with LIV signing his brother, Chase, as it was about the reported $125 million Brooks was offered.
Chase Koepka joined Brooks' LIV team, Smash, but he was relegated from LIV following the 2023 season.
Brooks hinted on the docuseries "Full Swing" he joined LIV because a series of injuries had eroded his confidence. He wondered if he would ever be the same golfer and if he could compete with the best players in the world.
In an interview with NUCLR Golf in March, Koepka expressed frustration with LIV Golf's progress.
“Look we’re four years in, it’s just getting its feet wet and figuring out what direction they want it to go,” he said. … "We are behind, to be quite fair, behind where we should be. From bringing sponsors in to hitting the international market and the U.S. market.”
Jumping to the league financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which holds more than $900 billion in assets and was willing to pay more money to PGA Tour stars than any of them would come close to making the rest of their careers, would be his lottery ticket.
But Koepka has some work to do. Although he has won nine times on the PGA Tour and spent 47 weeks at No. 1 in the world, he is coming off the worst season of his career, missing the cut in three majors for the first time in his career and going winless on the LIV Tour for the first time with two Top 10 finishes.
Koepka won five times on LIV in four seasons.
Talks between the two leagues to unite have stalled and LIV has lost any leverage it had gained since its last significant signing two years ago when Jon Rahm joined LIV.
The league, which has lost a reported $1 to $1.4 billion, is struggling for viewers and has mostly become irrelevant inside the U.S.
Koepka's departure was rumored early in 2025 when Fred Couples was first to hint that Koepka wanted to return to the PGA Tour.
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.