Koepka turns his back on LIV Golf: What his exit means for golf’s fractured future
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has walked away from LIV Golf with immediate effect - a move that raises major questions about his future, the PGA Tour’s stance, and what comes next for a divided sport
Published: Sun 28 Dec 2025, 5:39 PM
- By
- Nick Tarratt, Guest Golf Writer
American star Brooks Koepka has become the latest high-profile player to turn away from LIV Golf. .
Photos by KEVIN C. COX
After weeks of speculation within golfing circles, Brooks Koepka has officially resigned from LIV Golf with immediate effect, bringing a dramatic new twist to the ongoing power struggle at the top of the professional game.
The five-time major champion and former captain of Smash GC cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason behind his decision. Still only 35, Koepka was one of the biggest names to defect to LIV Golf in 2022, signing a hugely lucrative contract that helped launch the breakaway league.
A former world No.1 for a total of 47 weeks across 2018 and 2019, Koepka also became the first LIV player to win a major, claiming the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, a defining moment in the early years of the circuit.
Brooks Koepka in action during the U.S. Open golf tournament.- Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
During his LIV tenure, Koepka recorded five victories, but his 2025 campaign was more subdued. He managed just two top-10 finishes, with a runner-up result his best effort, and ended the season 31st in the individual standings of the 54-man league.
What next for Koepka?
His decision immediately raises big questions about what comes next.
Under current PGA Tour regulations, former LIV players are subject to a 12-month suspension, meaning Koepka would not be eligible to return until at least August 2026. Even then, a comeback is not automatic. He would need to formally reapply for PGA Tour membership, which he allowed to lapse in 2022.
According to sources familiar with the process, any return would also require approval from the PGA Tour Policy Board, including its player directors, a step that adds both politics and uncertainty to the equation.
One of the most sensitive issues remains the money. Koepka, like others who joined LIV, received substantial financial guarantees, and his exit inevitably reopens debate among PGA Tour loyalists who declined similar offers. How welcoming that locker room would be remains an open question.
Still, it is hard to ignore the stature of a five-time major champion. Outside of Rory McIlroy, very few active players can match that résumé, while Scottie Scheffler currently stands alone at the top of the world rankings. Elite, needle-moving stars remain rare, and valuable.
Could Europe offer a pathway?
There is also the possibility of a return via the DP World Tour, where Koepka’s professional rise first gathered momentum. He began his career on what is now the HotelPlanner Tour, winning three times in 2013 to earn promotion. A year later, he was named DP World Tour Rookie of the Year, before quickly ascending to PGA Tour success with his breakthrough victory at the 2015 Phoenix Open.
It was one of the fastest rises in modern golf from developmental tours to the sport’s biggest stages in just a few seasons.
What are the implications?
Koepka’s departure inevitably raises questions about LIV Golf’s long-term direction. Losing one of its founding stars is significant, particularly as the league continues its push for Official World Golf Ranking points and long-term legitimacy.
Much may depend on how Koepka is received by the PGA Tour and how golf’s governing bodies manage the next phase of an increasingly complex landscape. With multiple tours, ongoing negotiations, and overlapping schedules, relationships across the game remain under strain.
The 2025 season is already underway across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, the DP World Tour, and beyond and this latest development only adds to the intrigue.
A defining moment ahead
Koepka still has access to major championships through existing exemptions, but his current world ranking of 246 is a stark contrast to his peak years, underlining the challenge ahead if he wants to fully re-establish himself.
What happens next could shape not only the next chapter of his career, but also the evolving balance of power in men’s professional golf.
For now, one thing is certain: this story is far from over.
We wish Brooks Koepka and his family all the best, in health, in life, and in whatever path the next chapter of his career may take.