Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour raises questions at LIV that he hasn’t had to answer

LIV Golf arrived with an open letter from then-CEO and commissioner Greg Norman in early 2022.

“We consider ourselves a start-up,” Norman said in the letter ahead of LIV Golf’s launch. “We may start with a modest number of players, but we won’t stay that way for long. I fully understand that some players may choose not to play with us right away. But once we start, I believe that many of those who are not with us now will be with us later. I want to thank you for your patience, but know, it will be worth your time.”

Stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka jumped into the Saudi-backed league and the world of professional golf was divided. The arrival of LIV Golf and its ability to lure top talent put the PGA Tour on its feet early in the golf civil conflict as it worked to keep the remaining stars on her side of the aisle.

Cam Smith left for LIV after winning the 2022 Open Championship, and then the flood slowed to a trickle. Jon Rahm’s defection at the end of 2023 was the last major blow dealt to LIV.

LIV arrived and was modeled as a disruptor. Like all start-ups, the idea was to be nimble, move fast and break things – with the existing golf structure at the top of the list.

But on Monday, The PGA Tour turned the tables on LIV with an open letter of his own, announcing that Koepka, who left LIV on December 23, will return via a newly created, limited path called the Returning Member Program. Koepka will suffer a significant financial penalty for defection to LIV, one he has no problem admitting.

In a letter to members, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp outlined a three-week amnesty window the PGA Tour is opening for Koepka and any other player who won a major or players between 2022 and 2025. That limits the offer to DeChambeau, Rahm, and Smithplayers who, like Koepka, have value to the PGA Tour if they return. The window, which closes on February 2, is an offer that may not materialize after the deadline.

“This is a one-time defined window and is not a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this route will be available again,” Rolapp wrote.

For the first time since LIV arrived and turned the golf world upside down, the PGA Tour is giving LIV a taste of its own medicine by opening the door to an existential poaching threat.

It’s unclear if any of the three players eligible for the return route are interested in leaving the breakaway league for the tournament they once called home. DeChambeau’s contract with LIV ends at the end of 2026. He has said that while he believes in what LIV is doing, Koepka’s exit threw a wrench in his renegotiation efforts. Smith has said he likes the team aspect of LIV and that the league makes an annual stop in his home country of Australia. The LIV contracts aren’t public, so we don’t know if any of them would stop them from leaving without taking a severe financial penalty.

The Returning Members Program and the watch it created is the PGA Tour going on the offensive, trying to see if it can give LIV an even bigger shot with Koepka already in the fold.

The obvious question now is: What’s next for LIV now that it’s being discontinued? What does the breakaway league do if someone else returns the olive branch to Rolapp? What is his reaction to being hunted?

These are questions the breakaway league has never faced. The answer, whatever it is, will be fascinating and telling.

Losing Koepka back to the PGA Tour is a symbolic loss for LIV, if nothing else. The league has built its reputation on star power – being home to high-profile winners such as Rahm, Johnson, DeChambeau, Koepka and Mickelson. Now one of its biggest names is gone, and the PGA Tour is scrambling to see if others will follow.

Koepka’s exit will not stop LIV. Even if Rahm or DeChambeau follow, the league will likely move on. It has a deep-pocketed financial backer, has built an international roster and has found success in markets like Australia.

But professional golf is all about star power. LIV has always understood this. There are limited needle movers and all were seemingly pinned to their sides before Koepka returned to the PGA Tour. At the very least, the PGA Tour just reinforced DeChambeau’s leverage in his negotiations with LIV. At most, they could deal a significant blow to LIV’s identity if one or more players follow Koepka.

The new LIV season begins on February 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, two days after Rolapp’s limited-time offer expires. LIV is full steam ahead even without Koepka, but will begin 2026 in an unknown position after the PGA Tour pulled the switch.