After returning to the PGA Tour via the Returning Member Program, Brooks Koepka hasn’t been able to turn heads like he used to. Of course, he’s struggling to do better and has made a few changes to improve his game. But with the 2026 Masters Tournament lurking around the corner, if you’re wondering about his eligibility as a former LIV golfer, here’s what you need to know.

Koepka has won five major championships in the past, and the list includes three PGA Championship wins (2018, 2019, and 2023), and two U.S. Open wins (2017 and 2018). That (2023 PGA Championship win) has provided the 35-year-old with a five-year exemption into the Masters Tournament. And no, it doesn’t matter if he was playing for LIV Golf a year ago. 

It means he’s eligible to enter the tournament through 2028. And if he wins another major championship within the period, his exemption will also extend. But a win at the Masters would get him a lifetime exemption. 

This year, Brooks Koepka will participate in the Masters for the 11th time. He became the runner-up in 2019 (trailing behind Tiger Woods) and 2023 (trailing behind Jon Rahm), marking his best finishes in the tournament. He even had a 54-hole lead at the 2023 Masters. But six bogeys in the final round trashed his dreams of wearing the green jacket. Currently, his scoring average through 34 rounds is around 71.97, with the lowest round being a 65. 

Koepka restarted his PGA Tour journey with a T56 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. Then, he finished T9 at the Cognizant Classic after missing the cut for the Phoenix Open. He missed another cut at the Houston Open after securing top 20 finishes at THE PLAYERS Championship and the Valspar Championship.

A strong performance at Augusta National next week could bring him back up in the headlines as well as the Official World Golf Rankings, where he currently stands way below 160. But is Koepka confident enough to make it at Augusta this time? He’s certainly working his way around it. 

Brooks Koepka looks to address a major aspect of his game at the 2026 Masters

Ahead of the Houston Open, Koepka said, “I like the way the game’s trending. Sometimes it’s not always about the finishes; it’s about how I feel, and I feel very good, very confident going into Augusta in a few weeks. The only thing is I really haven’t put myself in contention with nine holes to go. That’s really the last missing piece that I feel like I need to accomplish here before Augusta.”

Last year, at the Masters Tournament, Koepka failed to make the cut because of the troubles at the 18th hole in round two. After hitting a bogey on the 17th, he went four shots over par to score 75 in that round. In 2024, he made nine bogeys and three double bogeys on the back nine, compared to seven bogeys on the front nine. 

He also added, “My game is rounding into form. I can see it. I don’t know if maybe results-wise, it probably hasn’t looked that way, but I can see it as a whole; it’s really all starting to come together.”

He has also made changes to his equipment by switching to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter and a Pro V1x ball earlier in February. That’s how he scored a six-under 66 at the Cognizant Classic, even though the bad putts troubled him at the Phoenix Open. 

Now, all we need to do is wait and watch how things turn out for Koepka at Augusta.