Brooks Koepka’s return to PGA Tour could cost up to $600,000,000: Reports
While the merger is still incomplete, many LIV Golf members like Brooks Koepka might eventually have a path back to the PGA Tour. Things are not yet finalized, but people are beginning to look at just what it would take for a golfer to return should he want to. Last year, that seemed impossible, but it's getting more and more realistic every day.
However, for some players, this would be more difficult than for others. The more notable they are, the more challenging and costly a return would be.
Koepka reportedly signed on to LIV Golf for a $100 million fee. The contract lasts four years, ending at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
According to AS, LIV players would theoretically have to pay three or four times their signing bonus if they want to buy out their contract. For some with smaller signing bonuses, that wouldn't be the end of the world. But for the 2023 PGA Championship winner, that could be up to $600 million, according to the report.
Despite rumors that he's unhappy with his move to the Saudi-backed circuit, it would be almost nightmarish for Koepka to try and get out of the contract and return to the PGA Tour. That potential $600 million figure also doesn't include any fees he might have accrued from defecting in the first place.
It would be fair to assume that no matter what Koepka is feeling, he's unlikely to try and pull a return until his contract ends. That in turn would mean he's going to be a part of LIV Golf for the next two years at least.
Once that contract ends, he will likely become a free agent, giving him the option to re-up with LIV or return to the Tour. By then, it's probable that the merger will be complete and there will be a much easier, cheaper path back to the PGA Tour.
Alan Shipnuck says Brooks Koepka has buyer's remorse
Many LIV Golf players went because they could earn a lot of money by signing up and a lot of money by playing at really any level of quality. That may or may not be the reason Brooks Koepka did, but he did earn a lot regardless of motivation.
However, according to Alan Shipnuck, Koepka might be feeling regret about his decision. The writer said via Marca that he'd heard some rumors about that:
"I'm hearing a lot of rumblings that Brooks Koepka has buyer's remorse. The guy has one of the biggest egos in golf, and as the PGA Tour creates ever-increasing buzz with its elevated events and even the state-sanctioned TGL, Koepka has to feel like he's on the outside looking in."
Koepka signed on for a reported $100 million, and he's earned a lot for various placements in tournaments. His PGA Championship win and T2 at the Masters last year gave him some money, too. Despite the money he's made, Shipnuck says he might be wishing he'd sacrificed some of it to stay at home on tour.