Brooks Koepka’s comeback and its implications for the PGA Tour
LA JOLLA, Calif. — The previous occasion Brooks Koepka navigated the tight fairways at Torrey Pines during the 2021 U.S. Open, the golf community was intact.
At that time, Koepka held the 10th position in the world rankings, had recently finished as the runner-up at the PGA Championship (marking his 10th top-10 finish in a major over his last 15 outings) and had the fourth-best odds to secure victory that week. His presence was unmistakable then — he had claimed four major titles and cultivated a reputation characterized by a certain nonchalance, complemented by his effortless self-assurance on the sport’s grandest stages. He was not hesitant to share this confidence.
“I think sometimes the majors are the easiest ones to win,” Koepka remarked in 2019. “Half the people shoot themselves out of it, and mentally I know I can beat most of them.”
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On Tuesday at Torrey Pines, nearly five years after that U.S. Open, still donning Nike apparel but now representing the PGA Tour — not LIV’s — a different Koepka emerged. He appeared more reserved and humble, appreciative of the chance to return yet not entirely forthcoming after crossing the divide in professional golf once more.
“I’m definitely a little bit more nervous this week,” Koepka stated. “There are a lot of guys I don’t know.”
One could easily attribute his demeanor to his current standing in the sport. Koepka is ranked 255th in the world, according to the Official World Golf Ranking (LIV does not earn OWGR points), and 162nd, according to Data Golf. He has missed the cut in five of his last eight non-LIV events, including three missed cuts at majors last year. That quintessential Koepka confidence may still exist, but for the moment, it seems subdued.
Despite recent performance, Koepka remains a name that, if not a game-changer, at least generates interest. The tour’s response to his wish to return underscored this fact.
Koepka was not merely added to the Farmers Open field; his comeback has been prominently highlighted by the tour’s social media platforms. Its slogan for this season, “Where the Best Belong,” was quickly incorporated into a promotional piece featuring Koepka. He was placed in a featured group, and the tour coordinated with ESPN to broadcast his first two rounds on the main network.
“It’s always good to feel wanted and to be accepted,” Koepka remarked. “I’m excited just to — maybe a little bit antsy to get to Thursday just so I can get back to playing golf, and that’s where I feel the most comfortable.”
Off the podium, Koepka appeared at ease as he focused on an aspect that has been troubling him lately: his game. He worked diligently on the range, receiving greetings, hugs, and well-wishes from fellow players while collaborating with his caddie and coach on his swing. On Tuesday, he played the front nine at Torrey North alongside Fred Couples, who mentioned in March that Koepka was eager to return to the PGA Tour.
This week, Koepka’s performance on the course is secondary. His presence alone signifies a victory for the revamped PGA Tour under CEO Brian Rolapp, a sentiment further solidified Wednesday with the announcement of Patrick Reed’s own return to the PGA Tour.
“I think people want to be on the PGA Tour. It’s the best tour in the world, the most competitive tour,” J.J. Spaun stated. “I think Patrick will be a good asset to this tour, and I think it just speaks volumes to where the tour’s headed.”
If expediting Koepka’s return was the tour’s way of giving LIV a taste of its own medicine, the inclusion of Reed and its implications could be seen as an even more significant blow. For Koepka, the tour was willing to adjust the rules to grant immediate access. For Reed, it did not require such measures.
“After winning [in Dubai], I realized just how much I missed the grind and the dogfight, that’s who I am,” Reed told ESPN. “I always saw myself coming back to the PGA Tour. I know I have to earn my way back, and I’m OK with that.”
Under Rolapp’s leadership thus far, it is evident that the primary focus for the tour is to do whatever is necessary to strengthen itself. Any lingering animosities or grudges regarding players who departed for LIV are overshadowed by the need to enhance the tour by featuring the sport’s top talent.
By permitting Koepka to return immediately and facilitating Reed’s reinstatement, the tour has effectively shifted the conversation from the ongoing question of whether the two tours will find a way to collaborate to a new one: Who will be the next player to attempt a return to the PGA Tour?
“As you’re seeing, the dominoes are starting to fall, maybe those guys on the LIV tour are not that happy out there and the grass is not greener on the other side,” Harris English remarked. “They’re observing the PGA Tour becoming stronger and achieving more success, and realizing that money isn’t everything. It doesn’t fulfill them. It doesn’t fulfill me. They’re still competitors, they’re competitive people, and they enjoy playing in the biggest events against the best players in the world. For me, that’s out here on the PGA Tour, and I think they’re starting to understand that, that this is what fulfills them.”
Whether intentional, opportunistic, or a combination of both, the tour is now taking a proactive approach under Rolapp, even leveraging LIV’s own framework. With LIV’s players bound by contracts, some, like Reed, have effectively become free agents once those contracts expire, allowing the tour to create a pathway back while imposing its own conditions in the form of a suspension and ineligibility for player equity through 2030.
Whether this will suffice for some of the players who remained is yet to be determined.
“For players, it’s a sensitive topic,” Adam Scott, a player director on the PGA Tour policy board, stated. “We’re definitely first conscious of the entire membership, but also we are listening to what the people want to see at the PGA Tour as well. We’ve got to look at what’s best for the tour and the membership going forward. So not everything can hold firm forever, and we have to remain open-minded.”
Scott mentioned that the decision to establish the returning member program and allow Koepka back immediately was “unanimous across the board.” Maverick McNealy added that although the current player advisory council was not involved in the Koepka decision, Rolapp held a special session with the members to inform them and ensure everyone was aligned.
On Wednesday, as the news of Reed’s impending return to the tour circulated, Rolapp spent considerable time at the driving range and putting green engaging with players. At least publicly, every player interviewed appeared to have a favorable view of both Reed and Koepka’s return.
”I think that’s one of his strengths is he’s a very clear communicator and due diligence was done on this decision and all avenues explored,” McNealy said of Rolapp. “Ultimately, we hire Brian to make the best decision for the PGA Tour, and he has. Go back a couple of years, think about how really cutthroat it was with LIV and how there was a time when we were wondering whether our tour’s future was secure. And I think we’re all absolutely thrilled that this really feels like the place to play the highest level of golf. I think that’s what’s happened the last couple of weeks.”
