{"id":2534051,"date":"2026-01-12T20:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T01:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brooks-koepka-returns-to-pga-tour-opening-the-door-for-other-liv-stars-but-theres-an-85-million-catch\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T01:06:29","slug":"brooks-koepka-returns-to-pga-tour-opening-the-door-for-other-liv-stars-but-theres-an-85-million-catch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brooks-koepka-returns-to-pga-tour-opening-the-door-for-other-liv-stars-but-theres-an-85-million-catch\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooks Koepka Returns to PGA Tour, Opening the Door for Other LIV Stars &#8211; But There\u2019s an $85 Million Catch"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">40<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbrooks-koepka-returns-to-pga-tour-opening-the-door-for-other-liv-stars-but-theres-an-85-million-catch%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2534051&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the league-level rivalry between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, noting that while rivalries are common in sports, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rugby-transgender-athlete-ban-under-threat-in-england\/\" title=\"Rugby Transgender Athlete Ban Under Threat In England\">league competitions<\/a> can be existential. LIV,backed by Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Public Investment Fund,poached several top PGA players when it launched in 2021,but now faces financial and growth problems and a stalled merger with the PGA.<\/p>\n<p>Brooks Koepka has chosen to return to the PGA under its new Returning Member Program. His return carries steep conditions: forfeiting any player equity interests for five years,being excluded from the FedEx Cup&#8217;s $100 million bonus program in 2026,and committing to a $5 million charitable donation. The PGA estimates Koepka could lose up to about $85 million in potential earnings because of the equity forfeiture.<\/p>\n<p>The program is limited: eligible players must have been away from the PGA for at least two years and have won the Players Championship or a major as 2022. Besides Koepka, only Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith currently qualify. The Returning Member Program closes Feb. 2 and is not expected to reopen. The piece concludes that koepka&#8217;s costly return highlights LIV&#8217;s struggles and reflects changes the PGA has made to address issues that initially drove players away.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Sports rivalries are nothing new, and just about as old as the concept of sports itself.<\/p>\n<p>Lakers-Celtics. Yankees-Red Sox. Michigan-Ohio State. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/republicans-democrats-congressional-baseball-game-gop-rep-launches-historic-home-run\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Democrats-Republicans<\/a>. And those are just the big ones.<\/p>\n<p>If you&rsquo;ve ever rooted for sports in your life, you&rsquo;ve likely been a part of a rivalry, because they&rsquo;re just that common.<\/p>\n<p>What&rsquo;s not nearly as common? A deep blood feud between competing sports leagues, though they certainly have existed.<\/p>\n<p>Just look at upstart leagues like the American Basketball Association, the World Hockey Association, or the American Football League. The reason these aren&rsquo;t nearly as common is because losing one of <em>these&nbsp;<\/em>rivalries is typically an existential matter. There&rsquo;s no &ldquo;better luck, next time, champ.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>You can absolutely add LIV Golf and the PGA to that list of inter-sports league rivalries &mdash; and this one appears closer to the end than the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>And that&rsquo;s bad news for LIV Golf &mdash; and some financially painful news for any PGA golfers who may have jumped ship to the upstart, Saudi-funded golf league.<\/p>\n<p>LIV burst onto the scene in 2021 with deep pockets lined with money from Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Public Investment Fund, which allowed the upstart league to poach some of the PGA&rsquo;s big names with massive contracts.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in the midst of all sorts of growth issues and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/top-golf-star-leaves-pga-liv-golf-just-weeks-bombshell-merger-deadline-come\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a stalled merger deal<\/a> with the PGA, at least one major LIV golfer wants back.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s just going to cost him.<\/p>\n<p>Brooks Koepka, one of the bigger names that jumped ship to LIV, is back in the PGA now.<\/p>\n<p>The PGA, however, made clear that Koepka&rsquo;s return was coming with a string of contingencies as part of its &ldquo;Returning Member Program.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/golf\/story\/_\/id\/47590926\/brooks-koepka-returning-pga-tour-new-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a> reported: &ldquo;The Returning Member Program allows LIV golfers who have been away from the PGA Tour for at least two years &mdash; and who won the Players Championship or one of the four majors (the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship) since 2022 &mdash; to return to the PGA Tour under certain conditions and with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/religious-liberty-group-warns-biden-rule-would-force-trans-surgeries-abortions-theyre-fighting-it-in-court\/\" title=\"Religious Liberty Group Warns Biden Rule Would Force Trans Surgeries, Abortions. They\u2019re Fighting It In Court.\">severe financial penalties<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Koepka agreed to give up any player equity interests for the next five years and will be barred from participating in the FedEx Cup&rsquo;s $100 million bonus program in 2026. At the tour&rsquo;s request, Koepka also committed to a $5 million charitable donation as part of the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>According to an internal memo, Koepka is expected to lose up to a whopping $85 million in potential earnings from the five-year forfeiture of player equity interests, making his PGA return one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >costliest financial blows<\/a> in sports history.<\/p>\n<p>Koepka acknowledged those penalties and accepted them when he announced his PGA return on X:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I want to thank my family and my team for their continued support throughout every step of my professional career. When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PGATOUR?\">@PGATOUR<\/a>, and I am just as excited today to announce that I am returning to the PGA TOUR. Being closer to&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SEIehuZN7O\">pic.twitter.com\/SEIehuZN7O<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BKoepka\/status\/2010785270602281361?\">January 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It remains to be seen if any other star golfers will jump back to the PGA, though per PGA&rsquo;s Returning Member Program, only three other golfers would even qualify: Bryson DeChambeau (who won the 2024 U.S. Open), Jon Rahm (2023 Masters), and Cameron Smith (2022 Players Championship).<\/p>\n<p>As reported on by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmonthly.com\/news\/why-is-liv-golf-struggling-to-poach-players-from-the-pga-tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Golf Monthly<\/a>, the struggles of LIV Golf aren&rsquo;t exactly a secret, with the biggest issue being that the Saudi PFI was simply offering less money to outright sign the biggest names.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, the PGA has also undergone massive changes since LIV&rsquo;s initial spending spree, addressing a number of player concerns that originally led to golfers jumping ship.<\/p>\n<p>Per ESPN, the Returning Member Program will officially close on Feb. 2 and is not expected to open up again, putting the (golf) ball firmly in the court of DeChambeau, Rahm, and Smith.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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