Brooks Koepka is not going to play in LIV Golf anymore. We all know that by now. So what’s next, where will we be able to see the five-time Major winner during 2026? Will he play on the PGA Tour? Will he play on the DP World Tour? The most straightforward and honest answer is that, with the current regulations, he wouldn’t be able to regularly play on either of those two major tours. But there are nuances. How important nuances are. Let’s try to explain them.
The PGA Tour, in fact, he wouldn’t be able to set foot on, at least until the end of August 2026, if what has happened in previous cases like Laurie Canter is maintained. That is, a year must pass since his last tournament in LIV Golf (22-24 of last August, team final in Michigan). And once that time has passed, it would be necessary to see how he returns, as it would be the first case of a player who left for LIV Golf with a hefty sum in his pocket and now wants to return. As the winner of the PGA Championship 2023, he might have a category, the key is to know if they will turn a blind eye or if the American circuit and the players will require him to pay some kind of toll. It’s undeniable that the PGA Tour is interested in having Koepka, and Koepka most wants to play on the PGA Tour. Normally, when two parties want the same thing, it’s usual for some agreement to be reached.
If he doesn’t play on the PGA Tour, his exit could be the DP World Tour. It seems the most natural. But we return to the beginning of this article, with the regulations in hand, he wouldn’t be able to play, at least as a member. According to Ten Golf, these are the key answers to the questions we are all asking:
– As the winner of the PGA Championship 2023, is Koepka currently a member of the DP World Tour?
No, he is not a member.
– If not, would he be eligible to become a member under that condition and what would be the process?
Yes, he would be eligible in Category 1, but the deadline for processing memberships has already passed.
– Would he have to regularise/pay any fine before becoming a member?
No, because he has not been a member previously and, therefore, did not incur any penalties.
– Has he already applied for membership or become a member?
No.
– If he became a member as the 2023 PGA champion, could he play a full DP World Tour schedule in 2026?
– For a player to join at this stage, there would need to be special circumstances, as the deadline is closed. In any case, if he were a member, he could play the tournaments where his category gave him access.
– If he is not a member of the DP World Tour, could he play tournaments on this circuit?
Yes, by receiving invitations up to a maximum of seven. This is what happened in 2025 when he played in Ireland, France, and Wentworth.
That is, Koepka is not a member of the DP World Tour nor has he requested it yet. If he were to request it now, he would be out of time, but there is the possibility of making an exception if special circumstances are foreseen. Obviously, it could be said that Koepka has not been able to become a member of the DP World Tour until he has disassociated from LIV Golf, and that is why he has come out of time. It would be a special circumstance, beyond being the player he is: a five-time Major winner, a DP World Tour winner, and even a Challenge Tour winner.
That said, if Koepka decides not to become a member or the DP World Tour does not accept his application, he could still play up to a maximum of seven tournaments by invitation, plus any others he qualifies for through the top 10 rule in the previous tournament. There is also the possibility that he could win one of those tournaments, and then he would have no obstacle to becoming a member.
With the rules of the game laid out, could we venture a Koepka schedule for 2026? Well, if we are to speculate, a fairly realistic scenario is that he does not become a member of the DP World Tour and plays those seven tournaments by invitation, give or take a week, plus the four Majors up to August. That would be 11 tournaments. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to stay in competition until he completes his year of suspension with the PGA Tour and focuses definitively on the American circuit, with or without tolls. Next stop the Hero Dubai Desert Classic? It would be a surprise if one of the invitations wasn’t for him…
