Brooks Koepka's PGA Tour return to happen at Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines

Brooks Koepka is one of the best golfers on earth. But, over the last three years, he was not a member of the PGA Tour. Koepka was one of several big-name players who accepted a big payday to join LIV Golf, an entity that has sparked years of legal issues and fighting amongst professional golfers.

On Monday, Koepka was officially welcomed back by the Professional Golfers Association (with a slew of caveats) and, as timing would have it, his first PGA Tour event will be the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines from January 29 through February 1. The field at the Farmers Insurance Open is always one of the best of the Tour season. Adding Koepka to the mix adds another level of star power and intrigue.

“He’s always is a great name with great recognition. He’s won majors, he’s won a lot of places,” says Marty Gorsich, CEO of the Century Club of San Diego that hosts the annual golf event. “But, I think there’s also the curiosity factor. Some folks drifted away so to get one of them back, and one of the big names, there’s just a lot of buzz around that because it’s kind of the first step in seeing what it looks like to bring back some guys who who might have left and let them compete at this high level and get them back around tour players. Finding a pathway back and having Torrey be the first place where that happens is really exciting.”

Koepka, who last appeared at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2022, is getting his Tour card back through the new Returning Member Program. The PGA wanted to give accomplished players who left for LIV Golf the chance to come back because it strengthens their overall product and, not insignificantly, attracts more fans. The Tour opened a window for players who won THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship during the 2022-2025 seasons to leave LIV and re-join the PGA.

The window closes on February 2. Koepka is the first to take advantage of the opportunity, but it does not come without a few strings attached.

The Tour asked him to make a $5 million charitable donation, which he agreed to. Koepka will also be ineligible for any FedEx Cup Bonus payouts in 2026 and receives no payments from the Player Equity Program (which provides performance-based bonuses to players) for the next five years, which could cost him more than $50 million.

It appears Koepka wants to come home for a more noble reason than money.

“These athletes know that if I want to beat the best and prove myself against the best, it’s going to be on the PGA Tour and it’s going to be playing at places like Torrey Pines,” says Gorsich. “Brooks is absolutely a competitor. I think he’s really going to focus in on his chance to prove that he’s still got the game to compete at a high level on the PGA Tour.”

There are three other players who meet the criteria for reinstatement: Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cam Smith. Rahm in particular has a long history with Torrey Pines. He earned his first PGA Tour win and first Major championship victory on the South Course. He even proposed to his wife on a hike through Torrey Pines Preserve.

Could we see the San Diego fan favorite back in 2026, as well?

“I haven’t heard anything about Jon,” says Gorsich. “We’re still letting the dust settle on this one. So, before I even look past Brooks and talk about any fingers crossed or possibilities, I think right now we’re just excited to have Brooks in here. But, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”

For tickets to the Farmers Insurance Open click here.