A week after five-time major champion Brooks Koepka announced that he will be returning to the PGA Tour next week at Torrey Pines, some players have weighed in on their feelings about his return. Koepka, who was an early LIV signing, was reinstated as part of the PGA Tour’s new Returning Member Program.
Reaction from tour players has been coming in all week and the reactions are mixed among current players on the PGA Tour. 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark discussed his thoughts on the return during an interview on Sirius XM’s PGA Tour radio this week, stating, “I personally really like Brooks, and I think it’s ultimately really good for the PGA Tour, but also a guy that had an opportunity to go to LIV, it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to get the cake and also eat it.”
He went on to say, “And if you would have told me that I could have gone for a year-and-a-half, make a boatload of money and then be able to come back, play on the Tour, I think almost everyone would have done that.”
Tommy Fleetwood shared his thoughts on Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour after his time in LIV Golf. “It’s a great thing for the PGA Tour that Brooks has come back and he’s playing.
Where it stands after that, I really don’t know. I just know what my schedule is. I plan my schedule and I go and play, and I’m lucky I get to play the tournaments that I can play. What the future holds, we don’t know. But I think Brooks coming back is only a good thing for the (PGA) Tour,” stated Fleetwood.
Michael Kim, one of professional golf’s more honest and open players, took to social media as he often does to give his insight on X. “I’m actually surprised at the amount of ‘penalties’ that Brooks has to take on,” he wrote. “It was the better decision to welcome him back.
“Most of the ‘anger’ comes from feeling like we missed out, but that’s not a place to make smart decisions from. “I think it was a big deal to the tour that Brooks didn’t wait until his contract with LIV ended, and said no to probably a lot of money to come back to the tour. Some guys are p—–, but ironically, I think the top guys are more okay with it.”
“I get why some guys are mad, but in the end, the tour has to make decisions that are better for the tour overall, and Brooks coming back is good.”
“For me personally, I’m not mad or happy he’s back. We knew it was coming for a while, and my job doesn’t change. I’m trying to win this tournament and play the best that I can this year. That’s it.”
We will have to wait another week for Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour and what kind of shape his game is in. One thing is for sure, the eyes of the golf world will be laser focused on Torrey Pines next week.
Mike is a founding member of Break80 Golf and a contributing golf and sports writer for Forbes with PGA Tour and LIV Golf media credentials.