Brooks Koepka applies for PGA Tour return weeks after quitting LIV Golf

The golf world has been rocked by a stunning Brooks Koepka bombshell after it has emerged the five-time major champion has applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour, according to ESPN.

Just weeks after walking away from LIV Golf, Koepka, 35, has now taken the first major step towards a sensational return to the tour he left behind in 2022.

The move comes after Koepka quit LIV Golf one year before the end of his lucrative multi-year contract, officially quitting the Saudi-backed league on December 23, 2025.

At the time, Koepka cited family reasons for his shock exit — and now, less than a month later, the American superstar appears ready to open a dramatic new chapter in his career.

Koepka was one of LIV Golf’s biggest signings but has not competed on the PGA Tour since March 2022, when he finished tied 12th at the Valspar Championship. 

He reportedly inked a deal with LIV Golf in the region of $100m in the summer of 2022. 

The former World No.1 also failed to renew his PGA Tour membership ahead of the 2022–23 season, a key technical hurdle that now triggers a formal reinstatement and disciplinary process.

Sources have told ESPN that once Koepka reapplies, the PGA Tour will begin reviewing his case, with “thoughtful input from the board, including player directors.” 

Exactly how long that process will take — and when the nine-time PGA Tour winner could tee it up again — remains unclear.

According to Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, sources indicate it's a matter of when not if that Koepka competes on the PGA Tour in 2026.

Carpenter wrote on X / Twitter: “Ultimately it will probably come down to a player vote, but most sources I've spoken with this week believe it's a matter of when, not if, Koepka competes this year on tour.” 

Despite his exile from the PGA Tour, Koepka’s major pedigree means he will still feature on the biggest stages in 2026. 

Thanks to his dominant victory at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, he holds a five-year exemption into all four majors.

However, his world ranking has taken a hammering. Koepka has slid to 244th in the Official World Golf Ranking, largely because LIV Golf events do not award ranking points — a reality that has increasingly frustrated elite players.

Last month, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil confirmed that Koepka and the league had “amicably and mutually agreed” to part ways.

“Brooks is prioritising the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” O’Neil said. “We appreciate the significant impact he has had on the game and wish him continued success, both on and off the course.”

The human side of Koepka’s decision has been impossible to ignore. His wife, Jena, revealed in October that she had suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks. The couple also have a two-year-old son, Crew.

In a statement released on December 23, Koepka’s management team said: “Family has always guided Brooks’ decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead.”

Now, with his reinstatement application submitted, golf fans are left asking the same question: Is Koepka really coming home?

If approved, his return would mark one of the most dramatic U-turns of the LIV Golf era — and send shockwaves through the men’s professional game.