Brooks Koepka is back to PGA Tour for almost a month. Now, his confidence seems to be returning as well.
After opening with a poor 74 this week A well-known classicKoepka recovered with a second-round 66 to make the cut, then carried that momentum into the weekend with his sharpest play since returning to Tour competition. On Sunday, he posted a 6-under 66 – tied for the low round of the day – an encouraging step forward as the five-time major champion looks to regain his winning form.
The biggest difference appeared in greens.
Koepka needed just 18 shots through the first 16 holes on Sunday and finished the round with a 23 total despite a disappointing three-putt for the first on the par-5 final. It was a key turnaround for a player who said his poor shooting had bled into other parts of his game.
“Honestly, it was just the shooter,” Koepka said. “I wasn’t making any putts, I felt like I had to hit it within striking distance, and it was putting pressure on everything else.”
Seeing some shots drop this week allowed him to return to what he calls a “conservatively aggressive” approach — trusting the targets, conceding pars on the tough holes and letting his confidence grow naturally.
“To be able to make some of those shots, you can build a rhythm and build momentum,” he said.
The breakthrough marks a welcome sign for Koepka, who has returned to the PGA Tour as a prodigal son – the first marquee player to return after leaving for LIV Golf. His reinstatement came through the Tour’s new Returning Members Program, which opened a conditional return path.
Among the conditions: a $5 million charitable contribution, ineligibility for the Tour’s player equity program for five years and a requirement that Koepka play his way into signature events instead of relying on sponsor exemptions. A portion of that donation, including $1 million directed to the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation, is tied to this week’s Cognizant Classic.
Since returning to the PGA Tour, Koepka has seen mixed results, starting with a T56 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open.
Koepka, however, is known for saving his best for golf’s biggest stages, and two are fast approaching: The Players Championship and, soon, the first major of the year at Augusta National.
He is in a position to look forward now that an adjustment period is behind him
“I think a lot of it was the first week,” Koepka said of his return to the Tour. “Once you get inside the ropes, it feels natural. Getting rid of all the media stuff was huge, and now it’s just a matter of playing and building a rhythm.”
