All articles tagged with #brooks koepka
Brooks Koepka fired a 64 to tie for the opening-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto, playing with Nick Taylor as a vociferous Canadian crowd roared. He said his game was solid and the putter finally warmed up, noting a mental reset helped free his swing as he eyes another PGA Tour win this week.
Scottie Scheffler praised Brooks Koepka's PGA Tour return, but in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch Koepka shot an 8-under 63 to lead the field while Scheffler posted 5-under 66, two back. Scheffler admitted feeling like he was getting lapped early, underscoring the pressure and excitement around Koepka's comeback and their mutual respect.
Brooks Koepka says last year’s family turmoil, including his wife Jena Sims’s miscarriage, affected his play, but a calmer home life and his decision to leave LIV Golf for the PGA Tour have helped him fall back in love with golf. He opened the PGA Championship with a 1-under 69 and has emphasized that being closer to family has improved his mindset and performance, even as he continues to work through putting struggles.
Koepka fired a 7-under 64 in the Myrtle Beach Classic's third round, helped by a growing crowd as he moved into contention and posted his best PGA Tour form since leaving LIV. He said the fans’ energy and his renewed happiness for the game have him feeling the moment, with a win at the event now within reach as he targets a return to top-level success on the PGA Tour.
Billy Horschel said on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast that he doesn’t see Phil Mickelson returning to the PGA Tour if LIV Golf loses funding after this season, suggesting any offer from the PGA Tour to the three players who joined LIV could be less favorable and that Mickelson's past actions may hinder a comeback, while LIV’s future remains uncertain as the PIF plans to cut funding.
With Saudi Arabia's PIF funding for LIV Golf fading, Donald Trump urged the PGA Tour to reinstate LIV defectors so top players can compete against each other; LIV's schedule faces disruption as funding wanes, Harman spoke of a possible return path with penalties, Koepka has already rejoined under a returning-member program, and Spieth stressed uncertainty about LIV's future amid lawsuits and other unknowns.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil doubles down on a world-focused pitch for LIV, arguing it would grow the game globally, but Dan Rapaport calls the approach weak and not a true draw for top players. The club’s future appears murky as high-profile LIV exits (Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour) and Bryson DeChambeau reportedly weighs options, raising concerns about funding and LIV’s ability to overtake the PGA Tour.
The PGA Tour is exploring additional pathways to reinstate LIV Golf players as LIV’s status and funding remain uncertain, with CEO Brian Rolapp signaling openness to bringing back more members who could benefit the Tour; Koepka has already returned and Reed is set to rejoin, following a prior “Returning Member Program” and amid questions about LIV’s finances and the leverage of media-rights deals.
At the Masters in Augusta, Tom Watson criticized the PGA Tour for letting Brooks Koepka return from LIV Golf too easily, arguing returning players should have to spend a year on the Korn Ferry Tour before rejoining, and saying the tour’s sponsor protections were violated; he dismissed Koepka’s $5 million charity donation as insufficient punishment, noting the Tour had offered a one-time Returning Member Program to others.
Tom Watson criticized the PGA Tour’s decision to reinstate LIV defectors Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, arguing for a lifetime ban to punish loyalty to LIV; Koepka returned under a ‘Returning Member Programme’ and reportedly paid around £63m in fines, while Reed cannot regain Tour membership until January 2027 but will be eligible to play again this August, underscoring the enduring rift from the LIV saga even as a PGA Tour–DP World Tour merger lingers.
During the third round at Innisbrook's Valspar Championship, a young girl was struck by a golf cart and briefly pinned under it. Brooks Koepka and NBC's Smylie Kaufman checked on her, and Koepka later said he was relieved she was okay. Koepka parred the 15th and finished with a 71 to sit in a tie for 11th as the final round approached.
Justin Thomas says it's a bummer that the Cognizant Classic has lost star players due to a crowded PGA Tour schedule, with Brooks Koepka headlining a weakened field. He describes the calendar as a 'good problem' but notes many top players are skipping the Florida event to prep for Bay Hill and The Players, while he returns from back surgery and would love to play Torrey Pines and Colonial but can’t fit four or five weeks in a row.
Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour and Patrick Reed’s forthcoming departure underscore LIV Golf’s fragile position: star defections are mounting, while the league’s ratings are weak and its business model shows little sign of sustainable momentum, raising questions about its long-term viability even as a few players stay for money.
Justin Rose fired a 65 to extend his Farmers Insurance Open lead to 17-under, while Brooks Koepka returned to the PGA Tour and made the cut on three-under after a first-round 73 and a second-round 68; Xander Schauffele’s streak of made cuts ended and several other top players missed the cut.
Justin Rose shot a 10-under 62 on Torrey Pines' North course to take a one-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open, while Brooks Koepka, back on the PGA Tour after LIV, shot 73 on the tougher South course in his return.