PGA Tour veteran Hideki Matsuyama got his season off to a strong start at the Sony Open. But in this week Open Farmers Insurance, 2021 Masters champion there will be a formidable new opponent to contend with: Brooks Koepka.
While Matsuyama has no problem with Koepka personally, he does have a problem with the PGA Tour for allowing Koepka to return from LIV Golf, at least in the way that he did.
Matsuyama shared his criticism of the Koepka Tour’s quick return to a new interview with Golf Digest Japan.
Hideki Matsuyama questions the PGA Tour on Koepka’s comeback
Koepka was allowed to return to the PGA Tour via the newly created Returning Member Program. The program has specific rules that allow an accelerated return to the PGA Tour for specific high-profile LIV players.
Only Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith fit that criteria. With the window to take the deal closing on February 2nd, Koepka is the only one to have accepted it (although Patrick Reed’s departure from LIV may inspire others to follow Koepka’s lead).
Even Koepka admitted he was surprised at how quickly everything came together after he split from LIV in late December. Typically, former PGA Tour players who joined the LIV would have to serve a one-year suspension when reapplying to the tour.
That’s why the Koepka news came as a surprise to Matsuyama, as he revealed in his interview with Golf Digest Japan.
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“I was shocked when I heard about it on the news… I thought, ‘Oh, he’s coming back…’ I think they took that measure because he had achieved results in LIV,” Matsuyama said in translated comments.
Matsuyama showed no animosity toward Koepka, saying of his exit from LIV, “I think it’s pretty amazing that Brooks had the courage to make that decision.”
However, Matsuyama also revealed that he was “surprised” by the situation, particularly the lack of communication from the PGA Tour about the Returning Member Program.
“But I’m puzzled that the PGA Tour didn’t explain anything to the players. At least, I didn’t know there was such a rule,” he said.
He then explained his confusion as to why Koepka was allowed to bypass the one-year ban to play at LIV Golf.
“While there has been a financial hit, what about the non-monetary aspects? What happened to the rule that players who participated in the LIV were not allowed to compete (on the PGA Tour) for a year?” Matsuyama said. “That’s what I’m thinking about most.”
The issue is somewhat personal for Matsuyama, who turned down a lucrative offer from LIV Golf in 2022, in part because of the ramifications it would have on his PGA Tour future. Wyndham Clark, who also rejected an offer from LIV Golf, made a similar criticism of Koepka’s return last week.
He continued his criticism of the PGA Tour, saying, “We’re the players, at the end of the day. The PGA Tour makes the decisions. It doesn’t matter what anybody says.”
Patrick Reed’s LIV output differs from Koepka’s PGA Tour path
Matsuyama’s comments to Golf Digest Japan came before news broke of another monumental shift in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle. On Wednesday, Patrick Reed announced he would also be leaving LIV Golf.
While Matsuyama has yet to talk about Reed’s possible return to the Tour, Reed’s Road to the PGA Tour may be more pleasing to the Masters champion.
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Reed will be allowed to begin playing in PGA Tour events this August, one year after his last LIV start at LIV Golf Indianapolis in August 2025. He will be eligible to earn full status for the 2027 PGA Tour season.
This means that until August 2018 the Masters champion can accept sponsor exemptions to play in PGA Tour events for the remainder of the season, or compete as a past champion.
Reed also plans to play the DP World Tour this year. If he finishes in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai season standings, he will earn a full PGA Tour card for 2027. big win at the Dubai Desert Classic last week will go a long way in achieving this goal.
He has also already qualified for all four majors in 2026 thanks to his third-place finish at the Masters last year.
3 more LIV Golf pros reinstated to the PGA Tour
Later Wednesday, the PGA Tour announced that three more former LIV Golfers had returned to the PGA Tour. Those players are Afle is to be., Pat Perez AND Hudson Swafford.
The terms of their PGA Tour returns aren’t all the same, but they follow Reed’s more closely than Koepka’s.
All three players have “outstanding disciplinary infractions” to address following their returns.
Swafford and Perez, both three times PGA Tour winners, will serve a one-year suspension and then be allowed to play in PGA Tour-sanctioned events beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Perez, who turns 50 in March, has his sights set on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
As for Na, it is not clear when he will get the green light to play in Tour events again. According to the PGA Tour, he is currently facing disciplinary action.
