PGA Tour Rule Adjustment Could Significantly Boost Brooks Koepka’s 2026 Earnings

Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour came with steep financial consequences, but a recent rules adjustment may allow the five-time major champion to recover some of the money he initially forfeited. When Koepka rejoined the Tour, his agreement included several penalties: a required $5 million donation to a PGA Tour–selected charity, the absence of equity benefits for five years, exclusion from sponsor exemptions into signature events, and ineligibility for FedEx Cup bonus money during the 2026 season. While most of those conditions remain intact, the Tour has revised one key rule that works in Koepka’s favor.

Speaking earlier this week, Koepka acknowledged that the terms of his return were intentionally severe. He explained that the agreement was non-negotiable and designed to reflect the impact his departure had on others within the Tour. Despite understanding the reasoning, he admitted the consequences were difficult to accept. The financial outlook changed, however, after the PGA Tour announced that the $40 million purse at the Tour Championship will now be classified as official prize money rather than part of the FedEx Cup bonus pool. As a result, Koepka remains barred from earning a share of the $100 million FedEx Cup bonus distributed to the top 125 players in the standings, but he would still be eligible to collect prize money at the Tour Championship itself—including the $10 million awarded to the winner—if he qualifies. This revision may be controversial among Tour players who have already expressed uncertainty about Koepka’s reinstatement. Still, it would be impractical for a competitor to participate in the Tour’s season-ending event without the opportunity to earn prize money.

In addition to the Tour Championship change, the PGA Tour also modified the distribution of FedEx Cup points in the first two playoff events. Winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship will now earn 750 points instead of 2,000, aligning those events with the Players Championship and major championships. The Tour stated that the adjustment is intended to emphasize season-long consistency while reinforcing the difficulty of qualifying for the Tour Championship. Koepka’s strongest Tour Championship performance came in 2019, when he finished tied for third. After spending three seasons competing on LIV Golf, he is expected to officially resume PGA Tour competition later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open.