Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has rejoined the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf, citing family as the primary motivation. The 35-year-old golfer, born and raised in Palm Beach County, aims to spend more time with his wife and young son. Koepka will compete in the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, marking his return to a hometown event after a three-year absence.
Brooks Koepka, who spent 47 weeks as the world No. 1 and dominated majors from 2015 to 2021, left the PGA Tour in 2022 to join LIV Golf, where he earned around $150 million. His decision to return came after assessing his future in September 2023 and gaining release from his five-year LIV contract on December 23. Koepka contacted Tiger Woods immediately after, who described the move as 'a win for everybody' and a sign of the PGA Tour's strength.
Family played a central role in the choice. Koepka married Jena Sims in 2022, and their son, Crew Sims Koepka, was born a year later. The couple endured heartbreak in October when they lost their second child at 16 weeks, as Jena shared on social media: 'We are devastated, but remain hopeful to give Crew a sibling one day.' Koepka's father, Bob, noted that becoming a dad changed his perspective, emphasizing the desire to be closer to home as Crew nears school age. Despite LIV's promise of more family time, its international schedule proved more demanding than the PGA Tour's.
At a news conference before the Farmers Insurance Open, Koepka said, 'Just my family... A lot's gone on over the past five, six months with my family. That played a big role into coming back.' His family joined him at Torrey Pines, where he remarked, 'It was great... It felt good. My son doesn’t really know what’s going on, but it’s cool for me to have them here.'
Koepka's PGA return includes conditions: no share in the Player Equity Program for five years, no 2026 FedEx Cup bonus, and a $5 million charitable donation. He holds a five-year exemption from his 2023 PGA Championship win but must qualify for Signature Events through full-field tournaments like the Cognizant Classic at PGA National. There, he has played seven times from 2014 to 2022, with a best of tied for second in 2019.
Cognizant executive director Todd Fleming welcomed the move: 'More than anything, to me, it means that one of the biggest names in the game values his hometown.' Early events showed mixed results—tied for 56th at Farmers and missed cut at Phoenix—plagued by putting woes, where he ranked last. Koepka switched putters for Phoenix, admitting, 'I've been putting pretty poorly for the good side of two years.' He expressed no regrets about LIV: 'I don't regret anything I do. I've learned a lot.'
The return boosted interest, with Farmers viewership up 63% and warm fan reactions, including chants of 'Welcome back, Brooks.'
