The golf world, while mostly breaking for the winter months, also still experienced a shockwave of news, as five-time major winner Brooks Koepka recently announced his intentions to rejoin the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf.
The move doesn't only mark a major talent acquisition for the PGA, but also signals a potential trend for LIV and a "writing on the wall" as skepticism over the organization's stability grows.
As of now, other major LIV superstars have reaffirmed their allegiance to the Saudi-backed series following the move.
Koepka is the first to join the PGA's new "Returning Member Program," which creates a pathway for him and other major winners to return to the tour with minimal repercussions. The leniency of the ruling is debatable, and it may seem light for one of the first defectors to LIV, yet it creates a new precedent for this uncertain atmosphere.
For the legendary Koepka, though, it allows him to focus fully on his craft and continue his pursuit of that elusive career Grand Slam, which could come back into play as he competes against the same field he sees at the majors after rejoining the PGA.
With these possibilities in mind, there is much uncertainty about how the results will unfold, but it is for sure that Koepka will return to major play this time with a PGA Tour card, so let's project what his return era looks like in those prestigious tournaments.
The Masters
The always legendary Masters Tournament at Augusta National offers a chance at redemption for Koepka, as in his last five outings there, he's missed the cut three times, finished 45th once, and in 2023 finished runner-up to Jon Rahm.
Those sporadic results make it hard to gauge where this version of Koepka finishes at Augusta, but coming back, he's only chasing a Masters and Open Championship to complete his career Grand Slam.
In both The Open Championship and the Masters, Koepka failed to make the cut three times in his career, tying for his least successful performance at the Majors.
With the daunting task at The Open and a difficult course, winning a green jacket actually seems more likely for him. In what would be a triumph for the ages, my personal belief is that Koepka will complete this task, further immortalizing him.
It's a long shot, sure, but in the very least, Koepka puts up an unforgettable performance in the Masters, with either father time or talent prevailing.
PGA Championship
In 2026, the PGA Championship will return to Aronimink Golf Club for the first time since Gary Player's victory in 1962.
The upcoming event appears highly competitive, with winning scores at this course in past tournaments ranging from 10 to 20 strokes under par. Koepka last played here in 2018 for the BMW Championship, and he didn't finish inside the top 10.
In 2023, Koepka won the PGA Championship, giving him his third all-time victory in the event, and it appears to be the last of his successes, as his last two outings in the event both resulted in struggles.
2026 looks to be more of the same for Koepka, as the PGA Championship poses a formidable foe, and he'll likely post his lowest major placing of the year, despite having the chance to post one of his best overall scores.
U.S. Open
With an already promising outlook on one of the majors, Koepka gets another boost of optimism in the form of the U.S. Open, not that he needs it.
In 2026, the U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the first time since 2018, where Kopeka became the first golfer to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988-1989.
In that 2018 event, Koepka finished one shot over par and only one shot better than runner-up Tommy Fleetwood. The venue poses a tough challenge, as Retief Goosen's 2004 score of -4 stands as the lowest score in major history at Shinnecock.
Koepka might be in contention to win this, given the venue's difficulty and his familiarity with success there. Whoever takes home first place will likely be right around even par to finish.
The Open Championship
For Koepka, who's endured a roller coaster of a career, no better major represents that sentiment better than The Open Championship.
He's posted extremely volatile results, from a 2025 cut or a 2019 fourth-place finish. Koepka finished practically everywhere on the leaderboard in The Open Championship, except the coveted top spot.
Luckily for Koepka, however, there's reason to believe in 2026 he'll actually compete for the win. This year's outing travels to Royal Birkdale Golf Club, a familiar course where he previously delivered results.
In 2017, Koepka finished tied for 13th at 4-under, eight shots behind winner Jordan Spieth.
That finish for Koepka, while not his greatest, and many years ago, presents an opportunity for him to start his return to the PGA on the right foot, and a great like that is likely to do so.
With that notion, it's likely Koepka finishes inside the top 15 in the 2026 edition of The Open Championship, breaking his streak of cuts and outside-the-40s finishes in the event, which he's done for four years now.