Smylie Kaufman saw this coming long before the official announcement hit the news cycles. Kaufman warned that accepting Brooks Koepka back would create massive drama inside the locker room. Now, the first sign of trouble has arrived just as Brooks Koepka gets his old job back without any suspension notice.

Wesley Bryan saw the news about the ‘Returning Member Program’ and posted a very sarcastic message on X. ” Proposition to the @PGATOUR. Returning Member Program: 1) Anyone who has won a major or the players in the last 5 years,” he wrote. He then suggested a second category for guys who play in 9-hole scramble events on YouTube.

Bryan won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2016, played 18 events, and nearly won one of them in the Dominican Republic. Just one year ago, he was suspended from the PGA Tour for participating in a LIV-affiliated YouTube golf event, the 2025 LIV Duels: Miami, as a content creator last April. Since then, the winner of the 2017 RBC Heritage has been serving an indefinite suspension for playing in that Miami event, where his brother, George, won the match alongside Sergio Garcia.

Now, Brian Rolapp and his team have created a specific path for the major and PLAYERS Championship winners, and Koepka is the first one to walk through this door after paying a $5 million fine. The Returning Member Program also makes Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith eligible with a February 2 deadline.

Bryan’s suspension still stands, making it look like the PGA Tour is playing favorites with the biggest stars in the game. Wesley even posted a cryptic response on the PGA Tour’s official post, “This is interesting 🤔.” His YT channel, Bryan Bros Golf, also asked the PGA Tour, “So does that mean Wesley isn’t suspended anymore for playing YouTube scrambles?!”

This double standard reveals a huge divide between the superstars and the regular tour members. Let us look at how these choices match what experts expected to happen months ago.

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The ‘Smylie Kaufman Prophecy’ is now coming true

Smylie Kaufman explained that the Tour eventually buckled under pressure from its television partners. He knew the networks would demand the stars back to save the season. Speaking on the matter with co-host Charlie Hulme, Kaufman shed light on this last month.

“I’m interested in seeing how they’re going to navigate because a guy like Hudson Swafford apparently got like a two-year show cause and all this, couldn’t play. Wesley Bryan, you know, he’s got like a year suspension allegedly.”

Hudson Swafford serves as a perfect example of the massive double standard happening right now. He joined the rival league in 2022, just like Brooks Koepka. However, Swafford does not have a recent major trophy to act as a golden ticket home. The Tour hit him with a full five-year ban that lasts until the year 2027.

Matt Jones, another Australian pro who joined LIV, finds himself in a similar situation to Swafford and Bryan. He was part of the original lawsuit against the Tour to play in the FedEx Cup. The league fought him hard in court and said his actions caused irreparable harm to golf. Now, they are welcoming Koepka back while keeping the Australian pro in permanent exile.

Still, not everyone is unhappy with this ongoing development.

The 6x PGA Tour winner, Max Homa, posted a picture of himself with Brooksie and wrote, “Welcome back, Brooks! #golf #pvo.” Others like Russell Henley and Ludvig Aberg also welcome this move. And the man who started this saga in March 2025, Koepka’s decision first, Fred Couples, also said on X, “He’s back!”  and “Welcome home.”

Does that mean Koepka’s just coming back in as if nothing happened? No, he isn’t.

Koepka and those who follow him through the Returning Member Program are ineligible to earn equity from the Player Equity Program for the next five years, from 2026 to 2030. They will also not receive any payment from the FedExCup Bonus Program for the 2026 season. It makes them differ from the regular PGA Tour player, and it’s a tough consequence along with their demotions in the OWGR ranking.

Still, Brooks Koepka’s return has ripped open a clear divide between stars and the everyday Tour members; Wesley Bryan’s suspension crystallizes that split.