At least nine months before he left LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka’s wish to return to the PGA Tour had been the gossip of the town. However, there was never a concrete reason why he would want to ditch the PIF-backed league. Now that he has, his former teammate, Graeme McDowell of Smash GC, revealed what led to this point.

“I could sense relief in Brooks’ voice. I feel like this just didn’t fit what he wanted to do,” speaking to Today’s Golfer, McDowell admitted. “He had a tough year in 2025, and he was ready to reset and set his sights on the Green Jacket, the Claret Jug, and winning the career Grand Slam.

“The majors are what he’s all about, and he felt like he was in a situation out here where he wasn’t where he wanted to be anymore.”

There was a time Koepka had gone on a rampage in the majors. He nearly conquered all four major wins in 2019. The 35-year-old has finished as a runner-up in the Masters Tournament twice. Yet, the Green Jacket and the Claret Jug have always eluded him. It’s high time he conquers those two big events and completes his career Grand Slam as well.

In 2025, Koepka realized that he couldn’t do so while playing at LIV Golf. Even though his contract would’ve run through 2026 with LIV, he decided to nullify it and move away anyway.

In fact, last season, he delivered his worst run in the majors. He missed three of the four cuts in the majors. Although he only cut once, finishing at T12, it showed that he still had it in him. All he needed was the right environment to perform better.

After rejoining the PGA Tour and paying his penance, Koepka will be returning to the American circuit’s events under their ‘Returning Members’ program. In fact, he has already played his first round, the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open. However, he has not fared as well as he would’ve wanted.

He wouldn’t be the only one to return on this premise, either. Patrick Reed, Kevin Na, and many others have recently applied to be reinstated in the PGA Tour to compete at the level. However, they are not part of the Returning Members Program. That said, there’s another huge factor that played a key role in convincing Brooks Koepka to return.

Brooks Koepka admits one big reason that made him leave LIV Golf

When he initially joined LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka was all in on the project. He promoted the concept heavily and was involved deeply in helping the league grow. That reflected in him playing a mediator in helping Smash GC sign a deal with his sponsor, Nike.

However, his commitment towards the league reduced over time. By 2024, he seemed less enthusiastic about being a part of the LIV Golf setup. Koepka stopped wearing the club’s merch during majors. He instead preferred wearing his Nike gear. In 2025, his form also dipped as he struggled to achieve a favorable result throughout the season.

Koepka finally explained what went wrong over the last few years. In an interview, he told the media, “I think the ability to have my family out all the time. I think that was one thing because they didn’t travel too much over the last few years. But like they’re going to be out this week, so I am super excited to be able to have them out.”

Through the divorce, Koepka’s family came as one of the top reasons why he wanted to return to his homeland and continue his professional golf journey there.

Playing on a global Tour like LIV Golf, it’s difficult to manage his career and also have enough family time. But playing on the PGA Tour allows him to stay close to home more often. That certainly gives a clearer picture of why he couldn’t wait another season to complete his contract before returning.