Brooks Koepka will lose a lot of money to join the PGA Tour

Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour. According to a new PGA Tour program, five times grand champion will once again become a member of the PGA Tour following his recent departure from LIV Golf. But it will cost him some money.

or LOT the first.

From a large one-time donation to charity, FedEx Cup Bonus restrictions and tournament capital limits, Koepka’s potential losses — at least in terms of what he potentially can earn – can reach tens of millions. In total, the Tour estimates that Koepka’s punishment for rejoining the Tour could become “one of the largest financial consequences in the history of professional sports.”

Here’s what you need to know.

Koepka returns to the PGA Tour under the new returning member program

In December, news broke that Koepka and LIV Golf had mutually agreed to part ways. It was a shock at the time, especially since Koepka still had a year left on his contract.

Koepka originally signed with LIV Golf in 2022representing one of the major league’s largest earnings. At that point, Koepka had nine career PGA Tour wins and four major titles.

In three and a half years with LIV, Koepka won five LIV individual titles and became First LIV player to win a major at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Since LIV Golf’s inception, every PGA Tour player who joined LIV received a suspension from the tournament and accumulated penalties for every LIV event they played. That meant the path for any LIV golfer hoping to rejoin the PGA Tour was extremely narrow.

But the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program changes things dramatically for Koepka. Originally conceived after Koepka formally applied for reinstatement on Dec. 23, the program offers an “alternative path back to PGA Tour competition for past members who have achieved the highest achievements in the game,” according to a statement from PGA Tour CEO, Brian Rolapp.

In short, any LIV player who won a major title or Players Championship from 2022-2025 and has been away from the PGA Tour for two years is allowed to apply for reinstatement from Jan. 16-Feb. 2, 2026.

Koepka qualifies for the program thanks to his PGA win in 2023, and as a result he will join the PGA Tour in 2026.

But there will be a huge financial cost to Koepka’s move.

The financial fallout of Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return

In his statement, Rolapp said the new returning player program “mandates severe and appropriate restrictions on both tournament access and potential earnings that we believe holds returning members accountable for substantial compensation earned elsewhere.”

The financial impact will be felt in three ways.

First, Koepka and any other professional applying for reinstatement will be ineligible for 2026 FedEx Cup Bonus payments (not including Tournament Championship Winnings).

Second, Koepka has agreed to make a $5 million charitable donation to an organization that he and the Tour will jointly determine.

The third form of repentance can be more costly. Players who apply to the Returning Player Program will lose potential equity in the PGA Tour Player Equity Program for a period of five years.

According to the Tour, the forfeiture of Koepka’s equity represents “one of the largest financial consequences in the history of professional sports.” How much exactly? Tour projects could cost Koepka anywhere from $55 million to $90 million.

With FedEx Cup bonus money and charitable donations included, Koepka’s cost and lost earnings combined could exceed $100 million.

In his statement about rejoining the PGA Tour, Koepka made it clear that he is fully on board with the financial ramifications involved in his decision.

“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 that there are financial penalties associated with this decision and I accept them.”

Koepka will make his official return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 29-Feb. 1.