Sign up every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we analyze Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour, how the tour did and how LIV can respond.
Big news rocked the golf world on Monday when the PGA Tour announced a new “Returning Member Program” this would allow a select number of players who fell under certain criteria to rejoin the Tour with certain penalties and conditions, and which Brooks Koepka had already agreed to. What do you think ultimately led to Koepka’s comeback?
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): I don’t think he was ever truly happy in LIV, or at least it wasn’t long before he realized he wasn’t. Sure the money was good, but we know Koepka thrives on competition and it just wasn’t that good or meaningful at LIV. That’s why he’s been so good in the majors, and I think it was difficult for him. Plus, while the LIV schedule isn’t as frequent as the PGA Tour, it’s more international travel, which can also be tactical and difficult for a guy with a young family. You also have to wonder, with Scottie Scheffler winning 13 times over the last two years, if that motivated him at all. He wants to compete with the best and no one is better than Scottie right now.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Before moving to LIV, Koepka made it clear that he wasn’t all that interested in regular Tour events. They didn’t fire him. Ironically, he was then thrown into a circle where every event must have felt that way to him. Clearly he wanted to get back into a more competitive mix.
Josh Schrock, news editor (@Schrock_and_awe): Brooks admitted that he initially went to LIV because of the uncertainty surrounding his health. He never agreed to be a “LIV guy” the way Bryson DeChambeau did. He took the money, but he didn’t do it like a great soldier in the golf civil war. His idea caught on very quickly, and once he won the 2023 PGA, he seemed to really regret the initial decision. Think Berhow makes a good point about Scheffler’s dominance. Add in Rory McIlroy winning the career Grand Slam and it’s clear that Koepka wanted to get back to competing against the best and feel more prepared to re-establish himself as a force at the majors.
After winning the 2023 PGA Championship, Koepka has failed to finish in the top 10 in his last 10 major starts, which includes missing three of four cuts last year. Now back on the PGA Tour, do you expect Koepka to return to his former world-class self?
Berhow: I wouldn’t be surprised to see him bounce back a bit. I don’t expect another year that includes three missed cuts, but I think he’ll find a little better form now that he’s in a better place personally and playing more regularly. But don’t lower your motivation. He knows he’s going to be on top of it now and he’d like to show people he hasn’t missed a beat.
Meaning: I do. Few players are better with a chip on their shoulder. I think he will thrive on feeling like he has to prove himself again. He’ll have to stay healthy, of course.
Schrock: yes. I think preparing for the Masters in Houston or San Antonio and not having to fly to Singapore and South Africa before Augusta should make him sharper and more rested for the big weeks. After a few years of bigger performances, I expect Koepka to be motivated to silence his “doubters” again.
Three other LIV players — Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith — also have the option to return, though they have until Feb. 2 to decide. press conferences last week they said they were staying loyal to LIV, although there is still time to return. Do you think there is any will?
Berhow: I don’t think we’ll see it, although it’s not a completely zero chance. I can’t see Cam Smith rolling. Bryson has a year left and while the tone of his press conference was, aheminteresting, he can play it and see where he is a year from now. This also gives him a ton of leverage. If there’s anyone I think can flip, it might be Rahm. He said he wasn’t interested a few days ago, but he still has two weeks to think about it. And time is a dangerous thing for the mind.
Meaning: Okay, Josh. Rahm would be the guy. And as we’ve seen more than once in the LIV era, what players say they’re going to do isn’t always what they end up doing.
Schrock: Rahm is the one all eyes should be on, but we don’t know what his contract looks like and the potential penalty he’ll face for trying to close. I think he will be back, but it won’t be until February 2nd.
The fine print of the rule states that only players or major winners since 2022 will be allowed to return, which notably left out other major winners like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia, including non-major winners but big names like Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquin Niemann. Why was it so specific when it could have been modified to allow more?
Berhow: The Tour knows its product is star-driven, and those are the guys — especially Koepka, Rahm and DeChambeau — who can really make a difference. Plus, with everything that’s happened between the Tour and Mickelson, it seemed like a not-so-subtle way to hit him. If the big names leave LIV, that hurts it a lot more than a handful of top-50 guys. You could even say that making this group so small puts more pressure on them to make a decision, as they wouldn’t want to be the marquee name left behind.
Meaning: The Tour-LIV battle has always been about the big names. This was definitely a game for the boys with the most power. The fact that it was also structured in a way that explicitly left out Mickelson must have been an especially satisfying bonus for the folks at Ponte Vedra.
Schrock: Brian Rolapp correctly identified the players who have legitimate value to the PGA Tour. It’s Bryson, Rahm and Brooks. Cam Smith fits into the category they created to hold the shoes on the other three. Rolapp is trying to walk the tightrope of bringing back players who improve the PGA Tour product without disturbing its current membership. We saw Wyndham Clark says he was ‘very torn’ that Koepka was allowed to return with what he considered a minor penalty. But I think players can understand that there are different rules for players who have reached a certain level of success in the game. It’s much harder to sell a share of the rank and file for opening doors for non-elite LIV players than it is for Koepka, Rahm and DeChambeau.
In his short time as CEO of the PGA Tour, Brian Rolapp has already made a big impact. Are you surprised at how quickly he acted? And if you’re a PGA Tour player, are you happy, upset or indifferent about the move?
Berhow: This is the perfect example of why it was probably helpful to bring in someone from outside the sport (like Rolapp, from the NFL) who made it simple and said we have to find a way to bring our best players back. I can’t imagine this move being made a year or two ago, when it seemed like the sentiment was more, “we don’t need you.” As for other Tour players, I’m sure it’s a mixed reaction, but they won’t be deterred by events and maybe that’s all they care about. Those who may have the most reason to be angry are those who were offered lucrative LIV contracts, turned them down, and now realize they could have done both.
Meaning: Rolapp promised from day 1 that he would change things. Not surprisingly, he made good on his word. It was also easier to make a show like this because the climate around the civil war has changed so dramatically. Long gone are the cries of ethical outrage over LIV and the source of its money. Now it’s all about winning the war, not maintaining the moral high ground.
Schrock: Not at all surprised. Rolapp is an NFL guy. He carries none of the baggage that Jay Monahan and the rest of the senior PGA Tour leadership do with LIV. He wants to improve the PGA Tour and make everyone more money. That’s how the NFL works and that’s how he’ll run the PGA Tour. If I’m a player who’s in the middle and haven’t turned down a big offer from LIV to jump, then I’m not bothered by this move. This makes the tournament the best, and Koepka is not taking anyone’s place and is not eligible for sponsors’ invitations to Signature Events.
Was Monday’s news greater for the PGA Tour or worse for LIV Golf? And what does LIV Golf do now, especially if more players move?
Berhow: Worse for LIV. It hurt the Tour when Rahm left a few years ago, but LIV has never made a splashy signing since. Now they’re losing one of their few key guys, and if even one of the three flips in the next two weeks, it would be catastrophic. So what does LIV do now? They went 72 holes and reapplied for world ranking points, which they need more than ever. A few more stars wouldn’t hurt either, but at this point it almost seems like they’ve become loyal to so many.
sense: Worse for LIV. The league wants to be seen as more than a well-funded novelty act. It wants to be seen as important to the competition. It should attract big names, not lose them.
Schrock: It’s worse for LIV. The offseason has seen the likes of Akshay Bhatia and Si Woo Kim reportedly fall short, and now they’ve seen one of their big names walk the PGA Tour battlefield again. If Rahm or Bryson lose, it will probably end golf’s civil strife. They will limp along and keep going because they have endless funds and have gained some popularity in markets like Australia, but with a roster of aging former stars and young bees, their dream of crossing the PGA Tour will be buried even deeper than it is now.
;)
