Brooks Koepka explains LIV Golf exit and Tiger Woods’ role in PGA Tour return

Brooks Koepka has revealed Tiger Woods was the first person he called after officially quitting the LIV Golf League just before Christmas, with the 15-time major champion playing a key role in his swift return to the PGA Tour.

Koepka, 35, terminated his LIV Golf contract on 23 December — despite having one year remaining on a reported $100 million deal — and was reinstated to the PGA Tour just three weeks later under a newly introduced Returning Membership policy.

The five-time major champion does lose out financially as part of the agreement. 

Koepka will forfeit player equity on the PGA Tour through 2030, is ineligible to begin with for Signature Events and must make a $5 million charitable donation. 

However, he is now a full PGA Tour member once again.

Koepka made his first public comments since his reinstatement ahead of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he returns to competitive action in a featured group alongside Max Homa and Ludvig Åberg.

While Koepka declined to go into detail, he admitted that difficult family circumstances were central to his decision to walk away from LIV Golf and prioritise life back home in Jupiter, Florida.

Koepka and his wife Jena share a young son, Crew, and Jena revealed late last year that she had suffered a miscarriage — an event Koepka acknowledged had a profound impact on their family.

Speaking to reporters at Torrey Pines on Tuesday, Koepka revealed Woods was the first person he called after departing LIV Golf. 

"I'm not going to get into too much detail about the family issues that we've had, but yeah, I believe it was September, right around the Ryder Cup week, we had to be in New York, we were up there for a little bit," said Koepka.

"Circumstances kind of changed in my family a little bit. Then that's when I guess things started to change and evolve and just started to have those conversations of what's best for my family. 

"We took it from there. Then I was -- me and LIV, we left that agreement, everybody was happy with it. They understood the situation that I was in. Just excited to be out here. So I made that -- I think the 23rd I was released and then called Tiger right away, then that process got the ball rolling."

Koepka won five individual titles during his four-year stint on LIV Golf, but made it clear that returning to the PGA Tour — and spending more time with his family — ultimately outweighed the financial incentives of staying.

He also explained why Woods was the first person he contacted once his LIV exit was confirmed.

"Yeah, called him. I've always had a good relationship with Tiger. I felt like that was -- that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to -- once I had the opportunity to I guess get reinstated on PGA Tour, it was exciting and kind of really didn't know what to do. That was the first person that kind of came to mind. 

"I didn't know Brian [Rolapp; new PGA Tour CEO], I didn't have a relationship with him obviously just because he's pretty new. And Jay [Monahan; outgoing PGA Tour CEO], Jay was going to be the next call. 

"I felt like Tiger was somebody that I've relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to deal with things and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me."

After discussions with Woods and PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, Koepka was formally reinstated to the PGA Tour a few weeks later.

Now back where he says he feels most at home, Koepka begins his latest PGA Tour chapter seeking a 10th career Tour title. 

He arrives at Torrey Pines priced at best odds of 66/1 to win the Farmers Insurance Open.

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