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Mark Schlabach
Brooks Koepka applied for reinstatement of his PGA Tour membership Friday, sources told ESPN, the first step in the five-time major champion’s potential return to the tour.
Koepka, 35, left the LIV Golf League on Dec. 23 with one year left on his contract with the Saudi Arabian-financed breakaway circuit.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Koepka, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, will be permitted to return. He didn’t renew his membership before the 2022-23 season, sources previously told ESPN.
Koepka last competed on the PGA Tour when he tied for 12th at the Valspar Championship on March 22, 2022.
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Last month, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said that the league and Koepka “amicably and mutually agreed” he would no longer compete in the league.
“Brooks is prioritizing the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” O’Neil said in a statement at the time. “We appreciate the significant impact he has had on the game and wish him continued success, both on and off the course.”
Koepka’s wife, Jena, announced on social media in October that she had suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks. The couple has a 2-year-old son, Crew.
“Family has always guided Brooks’ decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home,” Koepka’s management team said in a statement on Dec. 23. “Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success. Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what’s ahead.”
Sources told ESPN that once Koepka reapplies for membership, the tour will start its reinstatement and disciplinary process, which will include “thoughtful input from the board, including player directors.”
Koepka has fallen to No. 244 in the Official World Golf Ranking because golfers haven’t received ranking points for their finishes in LIV Golf events.
Koepka can compete in each of the four majors this season because of his five-year exemption for winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.
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