The next move for Brooks Koepka could have a lasting impact on professional golf for years to come.
After a tough stretch with LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka has decided to leave ahead of the 2026 season. Since joining the Saudi-backed league, his game hasn’t been the same. He went winless in 2025, missed three major cuts, and managed only two top-five finishes on the LIV circuit.
It’s still unclear where the five-time major champion will play in 2026. The PGA Tour faces a big decision: will they let him return immediately despite his five-year suspension from 2022, or make him serve out his ban and play on the DP World Tour instead?
Allowing Koepka back right away could spell trouble for LIV Golf, encouraging more players to follow suit. But it would also frustrate those who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour, turning down huge offers from LIV.
Xander Schauffele and Billy Horschel haven’t held back their thoughts on Koepka’s possible comeback.
How Billy Horschel and Xander Schauffele view Brooks Koepka’s possible PGA Tour return
Reports of Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf had been circulating for some time before it was officially announced, so the news didn’t catch many fans off guard. Billy Horschel, who has eight PGA Tour wins to his name, acknowledged that discussions about a return had been ongoing for quite a while.
Horschel explained that his perspective on whether Koepka should be allowed back into the PGA Tour has shifted over time. Speaking to the Palm Beach Post, he said: “At the very beginning, I think I was on the side of, there needs to be some punishment for these guys.
“And now I’m on the side that I think for the betterment of the game, for the quality of the PGA Tour product to continue to grow…
“Selfishly, having equity stake in the PGA Tour now, bringing Brooks back, that does add value. So I think there needs to be a process to figure out what (brings) these guys back.
“I wasn’t shocked. Let’s just say there’s been a lot of talk for a while now about Brooks possibly wanting to come back to the PGA Tour, trying to find some way to get out of his last year of his contract.”
“Let’s just say I’ve had some conversations with him as well through the year. So, like I said, I wasn’t shocked. And I don’t know what’s going to come from it. I don’t know if he’s going to be on a PGA Tour in 2026 or if it will take a little time. But yeah, I wasn’t shocked by it.”
The two-time major winner said: “It’s going to be a mixed bag. Depending on who you interview, what point in their career they are, where they sit in standings and what their world ranking is.
This sentiment seems common among golf’s bigger names. Justin Thomas spoke about unity earlier this month. However, that opinion is easier when job security isn’t an issue – players lower down have more at stake if Koepka returns.
Why Xander Schauffele backed Brooks Koepka despite massive LIV Golf offer
It’s not lost on anyone that Schauffele’s support for Koepka comes despite turning down a massive deal from LIV Golf. Reports at the time put the figure as high as $200 million, but he chose to stay loyal to the PGA Tour.
His father, Stefan, made it clear in 2024 that the decision was never about money. “They could’ve doubled the money, and we still wouldn’t do it,” he said. Schauffele wanted to stay in contention for majors and felt joining LIV might have put that at risk.
In 2024, his loyalty paid off with two major titles. But if Koepka is allowed back without serving his full suspension, it might raise questions among other players who turned down similar offers.
Schauffele might be able to look past financial issues, but not everyone will share his perspective. It’s understandable why some would question why Koepka gets to return after cashing in elsewhere.
This sort of move could leave plenty of players wondering what loyalty really means within this setup.
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