Call it faith or cosmic irony. Two controversial decisions are set to collide. Fourteen months ago, the PGA Tour approved smaller fields for 2026. Four days from now, Brooks Koepka plays his first Tour event (excluding majors) since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The policy and the return land in the same week at Torrey Pines.

Koepka is set to ‘debut’ at the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open. However, his inclusion created a unique problem, which forced the Tour to expand the field size once again, exactly opposite to the Tour’s current policy, to avoid an untoward scenario.

The five-time major champion applied for reinstatement on January 9, 2026. Two days later, the Tour confirmed his return under the Returning Member Program. Under the Returning Member Program guidelines, returning players cannot take another golfer’s spot. Instead, fields expand to accommodate their entry.

The Farmers Insurance Open field was initially set at 144 players divided into threesomes. However, Koepka’s inclusion meant it increased to 145 players, which made it impossible to divide into threesomes or foursomes. Someone had to play as a single. To avoid that, the PGA Tour was forced to increase the field size by adding two more players.

The Tour announced, “To round out threesomes, the field will be officially expanded to 147 as of Monday at noon PT, with the first two alternates at that time being added to the field.”

As of now, Matt Kuchar and Justin Lower are two alternates. They will earn a spot if no one withdraws before the 12 p.m. PT Monday deadline. If any player withdraws, that will leave the gates open to alternate no.3 Taylor Moore. However, it becomes more interesting when you look at the larger picture.

The Farmers Insurance Open used to boast a 156-player field. The reduction stems from the November 2024 restructuring under the guise of competitive balance and pace of play. However, to accommodate Koepka, the Tour had to go back on its word and add two more players. And this trend is likely to continue.

Koepka has confirmed his participation in the Cognizant Classic as well. The field size was reduced for the Palm Beach tournament as well. Right now, it has 121 players (including Koepka), from the erstwhile 144. Quite naturally, it is expected that the PGA Tour will take a similar step for the Palm Beach event by allowing the first two alternates into the field.

The timing of Koepka’s comeback, though, places him at the center of a debate that predates his application by over a year. Koepka departed LIV Golf on December 23, 2025, ending his contract a year early. Family time and reduced travel drove that decision. But his return to the PGA Tour was not without a story of its own.

Koepka’s return comes with financial penalties that read like a settlement agreement: a $5 million charitable contribution, five years of forfeited equity potentially worth $50 to $85 million, and no FedEx Cup bonus money for 2026.

“Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me,” Koepka posted on X. “I also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those.”

Not all were happy with this decision. Wyndham Clark, a major champion, voiced strong frustration over Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour reinstatement, calling it unfair that Koepka could “have his cake and eat it too” after earning millions from LIV Golf.

The Returning Member Program remains open until February 2, 2026. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith all qualify under the same criteria—winners of a major or THE PLAYERS Championship between 2022 and 2025. None has applied. The window closes in eight days.

At Torrey Pines, Koepka joins a field stacked with names: Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day. The 145-player commitment includes 140 locked entries, one sponsor exemption, and four open qualifiers. Depending on the results from The American Express, the field could expand to 151.

The collision is on its way, location Farmers Insurance Open, the story seems to write itself. The second part follows.

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Brooks Koepka returns as fringe players face shrinking access

Resistance to the field size reduction compared to Koepka’s return remained muted. However, that doesn’t mean none were affected by this new rule. You just need to move past the top tier, and you will find the stories. Matt Kuchar entered the week as the No. 1 alternate. Justin Lower sat at No. 2. Both waited for withdrawals. The field expansion tied to Koepka’s return now gives them a path in—without needing someone to pull out.

Still, the broader math tells a different story. Eleven fewer spots than last year. For players with conditional status, the margin between competing and watching narrows by the week. Lucas Glover made the point in 2024, prior coverage noted. The 2009 U.S. Open champion opposed the field-size cuts outright.

“Don’t cut fields because it’s a pace of play issue,” Glover told Golfweek. “Tell us to play faster, or just say you’re trying to appease six guys and make them happy so they don’t go somewhere else and play golf.”

The 2026 changes remove between 400 and 800 playing opportunities across the season. Exempt status now belongs to the top 100, not 125. Korn Ferry Tour promotions dropped from 30 cards to 20. Monday qualifiers vanished entirely at 120-player events.

Koepka tees off on January 29. The Returning Member Program closes February 2. The field-size debate continues. The Tour keeps restructuring. The stars keep returning. The fringe keeps shrinking.