Well, well, lookie here. Two PGA Tour expatriates are now returning to the fold after wandering in the LIV desert for several years. I would refer to the two of them, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, as prodigal sons except for the fact that they left the PGA Tour for far more riches than the New Testament prodigal son enjoyed, and didn’t set off for a distant country (well, almost) and there squander their wealth in wild living (unlike Mike Tyson and other sports notables who lost fortunes.) Koepka and Reed are returning to the PGA Tour pursuant to a byzantine set of requirements for LIV golfers to return to the PGA Tour. (The PGA Tour euphemistically calls it the “Returning Member Program”.) For Koepka, in addition to meeting the stringent requirements imposed by the PGA Tour, the return involves the payment of $5 million donation to charity, which he appears glad to remit in order to return to the Tour (which he did two weeks ago at Torrey Pines.) In the meantime, perhaps inspired by his good fortune, Reed s tearing up the DP World Tour with his second win in the last three tournaments with a victory in the Qatar Masters this weekend.
The criteria established by the PGA Tour pursuant to which LIV golfers may return are:
Program eligibility
ELIGIBLE PLAYERS: Open to players who have participated in Unauthorized Tournaments, have not been a member for a minimum of two (2) years and have won THE PLAYERS, Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and/or The Open Championship in the years 2022-2025.
Golfers participating in the Returning Member Program are eligible to earn Official and Unofficial Prize Money (including prize money at the TOUR Championship) and for other Member Benefit Programs (pending eligibility). They are NOT eligible to receive payment from the Earnings Assurance Program and Recurring Equity Grants under the Player Equity Program for five years (2026-2030). They will not receive any payment from the 2026 FedExCup Bonus Program (Regular Season payout following the BMW Championship). However, Golf.com reports that a rules tweak the PGA Tour announced recently changes the equation for Koepka.
As part of an adjustment to the FedEx Cup points allocation, the Tour Championship’s $40 million purse is now “Official Money,” which is separate from the “FedEx Cup bonus pool.” Koepka is eligible to play his way into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. While he will not be able to collect any of the FedEx Cup bonus money, he will be able to compete for the $40 million purse at the Tour Championship should he play his way to East Lake.
Consequently, Koepka (and presumably Reed) is required to pay a steep financial penalty as part of his return to the tour. In the wake of the foregoing, the PGA Tour estimates Koepka will miss out on between $50 million and $85 million in potential earnings. The Tour called it “one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history,” in an open letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
Interestingly enough, the requirements of the returning member program are tailored with a laser-like focus. Sportco.com reported that:
The reinstatement program allows golfers who have been away from the PGA Tour for at least two years to apply for a return under certain conditions and penalties. Yet, the program is only open to golfers who have won the Players Championship or one of the four majors since 2022. In addition to Koepka, the only other LIV golfers who meet that criteria are 2024 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm and 2022 Players Championship and British Open winner Cameron Smith.
Conspicuous by the absence of requirements allowing a particular PGA turncoat to qualify for the returning members program, the one and only drling of the tour galleries, Phil Mickelson. And you thought the Saudis were scary mothers, Phil?
One final thought: If either Koepka or Reed are invited to visit the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey at any time in the near future for a Saudi Golf League reception, I would respectfully decline the invitation if I were either of them.
