Not everyone is thrilled about Brooks’ comeback.
PublishedJanuary 15, 2026 8:36 AM EST•UpdatedJanuary 15, 2026 8:36 AM EST
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Brooks Koepka’s surprising exit from LIV Golf and virtually immediate return to the PGA Tour has sparked a reaction from everyone in the world of professional golf. While the overwhelming sentiment around the situation is that it is a win for the Tour and a big-time loss for the Saudi-backed circuit, it doesn’t mean Koepka’s return is sitting perfectly well with everyone.
Wyndham Clark can not be the only Tour player frustrated by Koepka’s return and the details involved with it, but he is the biggest to voice his frustrations thus far, and to his credit, he has a unique perspective on things.
Koepka was given a path back to the Tour via its ‘Returning Member Program,’ which is only available to a former Tour player who won The Players or a major championship between 2022 and 2025. He meets the criteria, having won what was his third PGA Championship in 2023.
READ: PGA Tour’s ‘Brooks Koepka’ Reinstatement Policy Feels Aimed Squarely At Phil Mickelson
If Clark, who received an offer to join LIV Golf, had jumped ship as Koepka did, he too would have been eligible for the Returning Member Program, having won the 2023 U.S. Open.
Wyndham Clark isn’t completely thrilled about Brooks Koepka’s Tour return. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
So, the long-story-short of it is that Clark could have signed a presumably gigantic contract with LIV Golf, tossed that money into the bank, and then returned to the Tour in the exact same fashion that Koepka did.
“I personally really like Brooks, and I think it’s ultimately really good for the PGA Tour,” Clark said during an interview on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. “But also a guy that had an opportunity to go to LIV, it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to get the cake and also eat it.
“And if you would have told me that I could have gone for a year-and-a-half, make a boatload of money and then be able to come back, play on the Tour, I think almost everyone would have done that.”
READ: LIV Golf Looks Desperate While Flaunting Bryson DeChambeau’s Incredibly Awkward Quote About His Future
It’s a more than fair and refreshingly honest sentiment from Clark. Anyone would leave their current job they love for a rival if said rival was virtually writing you a blank check, and you knew you could return to your previous job in the near future.
Having said that, Koepka isn’t returning to the Tour without significant penalties.
Koepka will make a $5 million charitable contribution upon his return. He has also agreed to include a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program, which estimates his potential losses to be approximately $50-$85 million. Koepka will also not receive any FedEx Cup bonus payment in 2026 and will have to play his way into the higher-purse signature events on the calendar.
