Brooks Koepka is competing in the Players Championship for the first time since 2022, marking his fourth event back on the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf. The five-time major winner has expressed surprise at the warm reception from fans and players. He returns via the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program, having paid a $5 million fine to charity.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Brooks Koepka rejoined the PGA Tour in January 2026 through the Returning Member Program, becoming the first LIV Golf player to do so after winning the 2023 PGA Championship. Eligible players included Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, and Cameron Smith, but only Koepka applied by the February 2 deadline. He agreed to donate a $5 million fine to charity.
Koepka's recent performances include a tie for 56th at the Farmers Insurance Open, a missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and a tie for ninth at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, where he switched to a new mallet putter and improved his putting statistics.
Reflecting on his return at TPC Sawgrass, Koepka described it as more emotional than expected. "I didn’t think it was going to be maybe as emotional for me, but it was," he said Tuesday. "It was honestly a great feeling... I was just taking in the moment and appreciating where I was."
He highlighted the positive reception: "Maybe just how great the fans have been. I didn’t know how the reception was going to be... It’s been exciting, it’s been fun, and it makes it enjoyable to be out there."
Koepka also noted his ongoing struggles at the iconic 17th hole, where he has played nearly a stroke over par career-wise, with nine water balls and two 7s in nine attempts. "The 17th hole... that’s just kind of the one bugaboo that always gets me," he said.
The Players Championship serves as a key indicator before the Masters, and Koepka views it as the start of the major season's intensity. He recently changed his phone number after the Phoenix Open to focus on golf, limiting access to family and golf-related contacts.
Koepka remains open to advising other LIV players on returning, stating, "I’m pretty open. They can come up to me and talk to me about anything."
His best Players finishes were ties for 11th and 16th in 2018 and 2017, years he won three majors.
