Brooks Koepka Officially Leaving LIV Golf Adds Serious Fuel To Intriguing Rumor

Brooks Koepka has officially left LIV Golf, and while his future is entirely up in the air at this point, the odd statement the PGA Tour released about the move only adds fuel to a recent rumor involving the five-time major champion.

LIV released a statement on Tuesday explaining that it has "amicably and mutually agreed" that Koepka would no longer compete on the circuit he originally joined in June 2022. Koepka's representatives cited that family and spending more time at home had guided him to the decision to leave LIV Golf.

As the news of Koepka's LIV departure became official, the PGA Tour released a statement of its own about the golfer. It consisted of just two sentences.

"Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success," the statement began. "The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness."

Is the statement just offering Koepka well-wishes? Did the Tour feel the need to remind Koepka that it still exists? Was it a sales pitch? Nobody knows at this point, but it's impossible to read the situation and not at least entertain the idea that recent rumors about Koepka may be true.

Brooks Koepka may have his eyes set on a return to the PGA Tour. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Earlier this month, Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, reported that "four golf sources" he spoke with explained that there was "a chance" Koepka would sit out the 2026 LIV season and use it as a gap year to serve out a suspected 12-month PGA Tour suspension with the hopes of returning to the Tour in August 2026.

The ginormous caveat in the rumored plan was that Koepka would be forfeiting nearly $20 million if he skipped out on the upcoming LIV Golf campaign.

When it comes to Koepka competing in 2026, he'd still be eligible to play on the DP World Tour and in major championships thanks to his victory at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Playing even a somewhat normal schedule on the DP World Tour would make it harder for Koepka to spend more time at home, given that none of the tour's events take place on U.S. soil. However, a handful of DP World Tour events, coupled with the four major championships, would make for a lighter and perhaps more desirable schedule for Koepka and his camp.

The one undeniable truth in all of this is LIV Golf losing Koepka is a significant blow to the circuit heading into the new year.