Cameron Smith has been offered a "one-time" 20-day window to return to the PGA Tour under the path taken by fellow star Brooks Koepka.

Australia's former world No.2 Smith must opt in to the deal, for recent major winners only, by February 2 if he wants to follow that route back from breakaway LIV Golf, with "no promise this path will be available again".

Five-time major winner Koepka has taken it after recently quitting LIV Golf, agreeing to stringent restrictions on his financial benefits and a charitable donation of $US5 million ($A7.45 million). 

In what appears to be a power play, the PGA Tour has instigated a Returning Member Program, seemingly specifically designed for Koepka and his former LIV colleagues Smith, Jon Rahm (2023 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) as it applies to players who have won any of the four majors or the Players Championship between 2022 and 2025.

Interestingly, six-time major winner Phil Mickelson - an outspoken critic of the PGA Tour - is excluded by the criteria by just one year.

Mickelson became the oldest-ever major winner when he saluted at the 2021 US PGA Championship aged 50.

Smith, who captains LIV Golf's four-man all-Australian Ripper GC team, qualifies through his 2022 British Open triumph at St Andrews, but he has given no indicaton he wants to defect.

The 32-year-old Queenslander has fallen to a current world ranking of No.207, with LIV Golf events not earning ranking points. 

His form has also dropped away markedly since his switch to the breakaway league shortly after his major championship breakthrough.

However, he did show heartening signs of a resurgence when finishing just a shot behind winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at last month's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.   

The 35-year-old Koepka dropped a bombshell last month by quitting LIV Golf with a year of his contract remaining, stating he wanted to spend more time with his family.

He reapplied for PGA Tour membership, with tour officals now rewriting the rules to bring him back. 

In an open letter,  PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said the new policy has "strict limitations, which Brooks has agreed to, (including) a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA Tour's Player Equity Program ... with estimations that he could miss out on approximately $US50-85 million in potential earnings".

The letter added: "At the request of the PGA Tour, Brooks has also agreed to make a five-million dollar charitable contribution, the recipient(s) of which will be determined jointly."

The program also includes "heavy and appropriate limitations ‍to both tournament access and potential earnings", though specific details weren't provided.

The move reflects fan ​demand, Rolapp indicated, saying: "One thing has been clear across each of those conversations - you all want the best players in the world competing against each other more often."

On social media Koepka said: "Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.

"I believe in where the PGA Tour is headed with new leadership, ​new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake. I ‌also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those."

He will make his PGA Tour return at Torrey Pines for the Jan 29-Feb 1 ​Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

- with agencies