The PGA Tour leaders must feel very generous after welcoming back Brooks Koepka this week. Even more after welcoming Pat Perez, but his coming is conditional.

The Tour confirmed this reinstatement, saying Perez had asked to be reinstated, but he is not eligible to participate in PGA Tour-affiliated tournaments at this time, according to Golfweek.  And Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig first reported the news.

“Players that do not qualify for the Returning Member Program can only be reinstated in accordance with the non-member policy and any applicable disciplinary process,” the Tour said.  “At his request, Pat Perez was reinstated as a member but is not eligible to participate in PGA Tour-affiliated tournaments at this time. The PGA Tour does not comment on disciplinary matters.”

This contrasts sharply with Brooks Koepka’s reentry under the new Returning Member Program. The program is made available to only one of the winners of the major and THE PLAYERS between 2022 and 2025. Only three players, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith, alongside Koepka, fell under that category.

Perez moved to LIV Golf in 2022 after winning three times on the PGA Tour and making more than $26 million in his career. He became a member of the 4Aces team led by Dustin Johnson, but was never known as a champion player. Rather, he was known for his sense of humor.  When his squad won the $16 million first prize during the very first season, he became the poster guy for the league’s easy money.

“All the pushback, all the negative comments, everything we’ve gotten—at this point, I really don’t care. … I’m paid. I don’t give a damn,” Perez said at the time.

Things changed quickly for the veteran when he finished near the bottom of the standings in 2024. He took the announcer role, and he spent the entire 2025 season talking about other players. But he started dropping hints about his return.

Perez posted a picture of a cup with the PGA Tour logo on New Year’s Day. Then, he changed his Instagram bio to say he was a member of the Tour. And on January 10th, one day after Koepka reapplied for his membership in the PGA Tour, he changed the bio again to ‘Reinstated to PGA Tour,’ even when the news wasn’t confirmed.

Perez was supposed to be banned until August 2026, as his last broadcast role at Indianapolis took place in August 2025. But the soon-to-be 50-year-old golfer wants to compete in the Champions Tour and three senior majors (pending suspension): the Senior PGA Championship, the U.S. Senior Open, and the Senior British Open.

“A lot of it will have to do with what happens with this so-called merger. If it doesn’t happen, I see no chance (of playing on the Champions Tour). But if it does, I want to know what the steps are to possibly play the Tour,” Perez said about his decision to step back from the LIV Golf.

Now, after securing his membership, Perez must wait for the final green light. But Perez is not the only one facing a difficult choice as the big deadline nears on Feb.2.

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Why did the other marquee LIV Golf players refuse to cross the bridge

While Perez and Koepka returned, other players like Bryson DeChambeau refused the PGA Tour’s offer. DeChambeau said his contract runs through the end of the 2026 season right now. He loves his team and the work they are doing across the entire globe. He feels very lucky to have these opportunities to play at such high levels.

Jon also shut the door on the tour and recently called the Tour’s rules for returning players a little bit ridiculous and very unfair. He believes that players who work as announcers should not face such long and heavy punishments today. The Spaniard won the Masters in 2023, so he was eligible to return. However, he told reporters that he is not planning on going anywhere.

Cameron Smith also joined the other stars in rejecting the chance to return to the PGA Tour. The Aussie star told the media that he is perfectly happy with his current life and family.

These stars are staying away, maybe because the cost of returning is simply too high. Brooks Koepka gave up $85 million in equity and paid a heavy fine. He will also lose his bonus money and his chance to play in Signature events. The February 2 deadline is the final chance for these stars to change their minds. CEO Brian Rolapp warned that this door will close forever very soon indeed. If they stay, they might never play on the regular Tour ever again.