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Golf's return policy: Koepka pays now and later to rejoin the PGA Tour while Kim earns his way back to LIV
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January 13, 2026
SUB 60 HEADLINES
Brooks Koepka is officially back on the PGA Tour. The 5-time major champion was reinstated on Sunday under the tour's new "Returning Member Program"—becoming the first high-profile LIV defector to return after his December departure. The price? A steep one: forfeiting $50-85 million in potential equity earnings, a $5 million charitable donation, no FedEx Cup bonus eligibility for 2026, and a minimum 15-event commitment.
Even more significant: the PGA Tour extended the same offer to Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith. If those names follow Koepka's lead, professional golf's landscape could look drastically different in the months ahead.
While that blockbuster news dominated headlines, the only competitive action came from LIV Golf Promotions at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida—where another return story unfolded. Anthony Kim, the 40-year-old former Ryder Cupper relegated from LIV at season's end, clawed his way back with a third-place finish at -5 to reclaim his spot on the circuit.
Kim made a clutch 8-foot birdie putt on Friday's 18th hole just to make the cut—a moment that went viral on social media. "I'm not here to prove everybody wrong," Kim said after securing his return. "I'm here to prove myself right." His wife Emily and daughter Bella witnessed the emotional conclusion to a remarkable journey from a golfer who disappeared from the sport for years before his 2024 LIV debut.
Canada's Richard T. Lee won the event by five strokes at -11 (64-66-64-65), pocketing $200,000 and becoming the first Canadian to compete full-time on LIV Golf. Sweden's Bjorn Hellgren finished second at -6 to claim the second of three available wild-card spots.
NEXT ON THE TEE
The PGA Tour season officially begins this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii (January 15-18), which becomes the de facto opener following The Sentry's cancellation due to Maui water concerns. Waialae Country Club in Honolulu hosts a strong 120-player field competing for a $9.1 million purse.
Russell Henley, the 2013 champion, headlines as betting favorite, joined by fellow top-10 players J.J. Spaun (the 2025 U.S. Open champion who finished T3 here last year), Robert MacIntyre, and Ben Griffin. Other notables include 2022 winner Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth (first appearance since 2023), and 62-year-old Vijay Singh using his career money exemption. Defending champion Nick Taylor seeks to become the first back-to-back winner since Jimmy Walker (2014-15).
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