Brooks Koepka boosted by PGA Tour FedEx Cup changes ahead of return

Brooks Koepka has received a timely boost ahead of his return to the PGA Tour following the circuit’s confirmation of changes to the FedEx Cup Playoffs structure and bonus payouts for the 2026 season.

The five-time major champion formally left LIV Golf on 23 December and was reinstated to the PGA Tour this week under the newly introduced Returning Membership policy. 

The new policy applies to LIV Golf players who are major champions or winners of The Players Championship since 2022, with a deadline set of 2 February. Koepka accepted, but the only other three players eligible in Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeu and Cameron Smith all refused. 

Koepka, 35, is set to make his PGA Tour comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open in two weeks’ time, before competing at the WM Phoenix Open, an event he has previously won twice, in 2015 and 2021.

• McIlroy slams LIV Golf as he breaks silence over Koepka return

His return does come with significant conditions. Having signed a reported $100m deal to join LIV Golf in 2022, a league he played four seasons and won five times, Koepka will be ineligible to receive PGA Tour player equity through the 2030 season.

He is also required to make a $5m charitable donation.

In addition, he will not be eligible for FedEx Cup bonus money during the 2026 season. However, the PGA Tour’s latest announcement Thursday clarified an important distinction regarding prize money at the Tour Championship. 

While Koepka will be excluded from the FedEx Cup bonus pool, which totals close to $100m, he will still be able to compete for a share of the $40m purse at the Tour Championship should he qualify for the 30-man field at East Lake in September. That purse, including the $10m first prize, will now be classified as official prize money and is separate from the FedEx Cup bonus payments.

Under the updated structure, FedEx Cup bonus money will be paid out following the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the Playoffs. 

Only the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings at that point will receive a share of the bonus pool, reduced from the previous threshold of 150. 

As part of this change, the $40m Comcast Business Top 10 bonus, which was previously paid at the end of the regular season, has been discontinued.

The Tour has also adjusted FedEx Cup points allocations for 2026. 

Winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship will now receive 750 points, down from 2,000, aligning them with points awarded at The Players Championship and the major championships. 

The move follows the removal of Starting Strokes at the Tour Championship and is designed to place greater emphasis on consistent performance across the full season, while making qualification for East Lake more demanding.

Notable updates to 2026 PGA Tour season, FedExCup Playoffs points adjustments

• FedEx Cup bonus money (nearly $100m) will now be paid out after the BMW Championship to the top 125 players in the standings, rather than the top 150.
• The $40m Tour Championship purse is now classed as official prize money and is separate from FedEx Cup bonus payouts.
• Koepka will be ineligible for FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026, but if he qualifies for the Tour Championship, he can compete for a share of the $40m purse at East Lake, including the $10m first prize.
• Winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship (Playoffs) will receive 750 FedEx Cup points (down from 2,000), aligning them with the majors and The Players Championship.
• Winners of regular full-field PGA Tour events continue to receive 500 FedEx Cup points, with winners of Signature Events awarded 700 FedEx Cup points.

Koepka faces a challenging route back to the Tour Championship. 

He will begin the season outside the Signature Events, where larger FedEx Cup points totals are available, making progression through the standings more difficult. 

However, strong performances in the four majors, for which he is fully eligible, could significantly improve his position.

A nine-time PGA Tour winner, Koepka has built his career around major success, with five of his victories coming on golf’s biggest stages. 

The former Smash GC captain enters his return ranked 244th in the Official World Golf Ranking, a reflection of LIV Golf’s lack of OWGR points prior to his PGA Tour comeback. 

Koepka cited family reasons for his decision to leave LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour, following a difficult 2025 season on and off the course.

Several players, including Rickie Fowler, have suggested Koepka had been considering a return for some time. 

With a clearer pathway now defined, his focus will turn to rebuilding his status and working his way back into contention at the sport’s biggest events.