Brooks Koepka seeks PGA Tour return, citing family reasons for LIV Golf exit

NEW YORK — Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka applied to rejoin the PGA Tour on Friday, according to ESPN sources, marking the first step in a potential return following his departure for the rival LIV Golf circuit.

The 35-year-old Koepka left the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League on Dec. 23 with one year remaining on his contract. Official statements from LIV Golf and Koepka’s management said the golfer made the decision to prioritize his family after his wife, Jena, suffered a miscarriage in October.

It is not yet clear when Koepka will be allowed to return to competition. The PGA Tour will now begin its standard reinstatement and disciplinary review process.

Koepka has dropped to No. 244 in the Official World Golf Ranking because LIV events do not receive ranking points. He remains eligible to compete in all four major championships this season, however, thanks to a five-year exemption from his 2023 PGA Championship victory.

Brooks Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf, though framed as a personal decision, represents a seismic shift in professional golf’s ongoing civil war and a direct hit to the Saudi-backed circuit’s prestige. As one of the first marquee names to defect, Koepka’s initial move provided the nascent league with much-needed legitimacy; his exit now threatens to dismantle it.

For the PGA Tour, Koepka’s return presents a complex regulatory and disciplinary dilemma. Leadership must now determine a reinstatement framework that balances deterrence with reconciliation. While a heavy administrative penalty would serve as a warning to other potential "prodigals," an overly lenient path back could alienate the loyalist faction of players who rejected LIV’s lucrative sign-on bonuses. The Tour’s decision here will establish a critical policy precedent for how it governs its membership and protects its competitive integrity.

The situation also exposes the structural fragility of the LIV model—specifically its lack of accreditation by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Koepka’s precipitous drop to 244th in the world rankings highlights the professional cost of competing outside the recognized ecosystem. For players prioritized by legacy and historical standing, this serves as a cautionary tale: sovereign wealth can secure a balance sheet, but it has yet to successfully manufacture the prestige or the rigorous competitive standards inherent to the PGA Tour.

While Koepka’s story is a major headline for Vietnamese-American golf enthusiasts, it remains a strictly sporting interest with no direct impact on the community’s specific issues or day-to-day realities.