Brooks Koepka just handed a rookie a $63,000 payday

Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour has already begun to create ripples far beyond his own scorecards.

While all eyes at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open were on the five-time Major winner’s highly anticipated desert appearance and his shocking gear changes, his presence triggered a technicality that handed a struggling rookie the biggest check of his career.

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Koepka’s participation at TPC Scottsdale directly paved the way for Canadian rookie AJ Ewart to secure the best finish of his young professional life.

When Koepka applied for reinstatement via the Tour’s brand-new Returning Member Program, the Tour faced a unique logistical hurdle.

To maintain fairness, the Board decreed that Koepka, and any other elite returning stars, would be added to fields rather than taking a spot away from current members.

This meant the field in Phoenix was expanded to accommodate him, but because professional golf’s opening rounds require three-ball groupings, the Tour had to reach deeper into the alternate list to keep the math even.

Ewart, a 26-year-old Q-School graduate who had been on the outside looking in, was the lucky beneficiary.

He took full advantage of the opportunity, carding a 7-under total (69-68-72-68) to finish T-28. The result earned him $62,948 and 26.5 vital FedEx Cup points—a massive milestone in his first full season.

Ironically, while the rookie cashed in, Koepka himself missed the cut at 2-over par and walked away with $0 in prize money.

Beyond the leaderboard drama, Koepka’s return represents one of the most expensive career pivots in sports history.

To be reinstated, Brooks didn’t just give up his LIV Golf contract; he accepted massive restitution to level the playing field with those who never left.

He is ineligible for the Tour’s Player Equity Program for five years, which is an estimated loss between $50 million and $85 million.

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GEtty

Additionally, he made a mandatory $5 million donation to charity, is barred from the $100 million FedEx Cup bonus program for 2026, and is forbidden from receiving sponsor exemptions into the $20 million Signature Events.

He must earn his way back through the world rankings (where he currently sits at 255th) or the Aon Swing 5.

If the financial penalties weren’t enough, Koepka’s game showed significant rust.

After ranking dead last in putting at Torrey Pines, he made a move that left equipment nerds stunned: he benched his iconic Scotty Cameron Teryllium Newport 2—the blade he used to win all five of his Majors.

He debuted a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet at Scottsdale, an L-neck model popularized by Scottie Scheffler. The experiment was rocky; in Round 1, he lost 3.7 strokes on the greens and didn’t make a single putt over five feet.

The question has been asked: why would a man walk away from $85 million and bench his favorite club? For Koepka, the answer was personal.

He noted that the LIV schedule, which spans nine countries across five continents, was too grueling for his growing family. By returning to the PGA Tour, he can play a North American-centric schedule, allowing his wife, Jena, and their son to travel with him consistently.

There’s little doubt Koepka will find his footing as he navigates these sweeping changes. But for now, while Brooks heads to the Cognizant Classic to continue shaking off the cobwebs, Ewart is happily heading to the bank.