LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka is stepping away from the Saudi-backed circuit. Koepka left the PGA Tour in June 2022 to join LIV on a four-year contract that runs through 2026, reportedly worth more than $100 million, according to Reuters.

Despite having a year left on the contract, Koepka will not return to the league for the 2026 season. So what really happened?

Why Brooks Koepka stepped away

The announcement came on Wednesday, December 23. "We have amicably and mutually agreed that Brooks Koepka will no longer compete in the LIV Golf League following the 2025 season," a statement from LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said.

On the same day, Koepka's representative filled in the blanks. "Brooks Koepka will be stepping away from LIV Golf. He is deeply grateful to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Scott O’Neil, and the LIV Golf leadership team, his teammates, and the fans," the rep said.

Koepka recorded five individual wins on LIV Golf, becoming the first player in the league to reach that mark. However, golf is not his priority right now.

“Family has always guided Brooks’s decisions, and he feels this is the right moment to spend more time at home. Brooks will continue to be a huge supporter of LIV Golf and wishes the league and its players continued success," the rep added.

His first LIV victory came in 2022 at the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah in October. Next year, 2023, Koepka won LIV events in Orlando and Jeddah. Last year, he added two more LIV Golf wins at Singapore and The Greenbrier, defeating Jon Rahm in a playoff.

Koepka earned $46,065,848 during his four-year spell on LIV Golf, compared with $29,857,185 in lifetime earnings on the PGA Tour. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour released its own statement following Koepka's departure.

The PGA Tour's cryptic statement

"Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success," the Tour said in its statement.

Koepka is the first golfer to win a major while under contract with LIV Golf by winning the 2023 PGA Championship. While the first part of the statement is par for the course, the other part is the head-scratcher.

"The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness," added the PGA Tour.

That being said, such a high-profile player's departure is never really good news. Koepka’s move reduces LIV Golf’s leading player group, with Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm remaining as its primary draws. With the new season starting in February 2026, LIV is yet to add new high-profile players for the third time in four offseasons.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi