Brooks Koepka clearly wants to return to the PGA Tour imminently.
Koepka officially left LIV Golf in December 2025, leaving Bryson DeChambeau as the Saudi-backed outfit’s biggest star by quite some distance as well.
It’s fair to say that Koepka‘s future is very much up in the air right now, with the PGA Tour yet to make a decision regarding the 35-year-old’s situation.
Koepka has applied for his PGA Tour membership to be reinstated, but the general consensus is that it will be quite some time before he’s given an answer regarding his future.
Why should Brooks Koepka be allowed back on the PGA Tour?
He made his bed, now he should have to lie in it…right?
Koepka may well play some DP World Tour events in 2026.
However, it’s very clear to see that his main ambition is to return to the PGA Tour.
And whatever the Tour decides to do next after Koepka reapplied for his membership could have drastic ramifications.
PGA Tour must tread carefully with Brooks Koepka or risk Bryson DeChambeau issue
The truth of the matter is that the PGA Tour is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now regarding Koepka.
On the one hand, having him back on Tour would be great for viewing figures and general excitement amongst fans.
However, on the other hand, there are numerous PGA Tour players who will quite rightly feel very hard done by if the five-time major champion is allowed to come back free of punishment.
A balance needs to be struck somewhere along the line.
The truth of the matter is that the PGA Tour could kill LIV Golf in an instant by re-signing DeChambeau.
So, as much as they may deny it, the PGA Tour absolutely has to make a return fairly attainable for Koepka.
Otherwise they could risk losing DeChambeau forever.
Why would the two-time US Open champion consider leaving LIV Golf if Koepka is made to jump through too many hoops before being allowed back on the PGA Tour?
PGA Tour’s Brooks Koepka solution is simple
So what does the perfect balance look like? How does the PGA Tour keep all parties happy?
In an ideal world, Koepka would return to the PGA Tour instantly but that’s just not feasible.
Is this the end of LIV Golf?
If that happened, it would be open season for numerous PGA Tour players to take huge signing-on fees from LIV Golf, then playing a couple of years with them before leaving and returning to their old stomping grounds.
Perhaps the perfect solution is a ban for one season. Then, when Koepka does return, he is given conditional status that will allow him to play 15-20 events per year.
Meanwhile, he shouldn’t be given instant access into the Signature Events. Koepka definitely needs to earn his place back at the top table.
However, talk of three-year bans and with some suggesting he never should be allowed back, the PGA Tour is walking on very thin ice.
DeChambeau will be watching Koepka’s situation very closely indeed and what happens next could completely change the golfing landscape forever.
