Koepka: ‘Nervous’ about return, must rebuild ties

HONOLULU — Brooks Koepka is waiting for a apprehensive vitality when he returns to a strange PGA Tour tournament for the predominant time in four years on the Farmers Insurance Open.

Easiest a few of that pertains to his golf.

How he’s obtained — within and begin air the ropes — remains to be considered as the predominant participant to be invited support to the PGA Tour after taking Saudi riches to defect to the LIV Golf League in 2022.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do with some of the players,” Koepka stated in a phone interview Monday. “There’s definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry. It’s a harsh punishment financially. I understand exactly why the tour did that — it’s meant to hurt. But it [his departure] hurt a lot of people.

“If somebody is upset, I must rebuild those relationships.”

Koepka was allowed back under a one-time Returning Member Program that the PGA Tour board developed and approved last week. It applies only to players who have won a major or the Players Championship since 2022.

The penalty is a $5 million contribution to a charity the tour will help decide, no access to FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026, no sponsor exemptions to the $20 million signature events and, most importantly, no equity grants in the PGA Tour for the next five years.

The PGA Tour estimates, based on Koepka performing at the level allowed to win five majors, that the financial repercussions could be worth anywhere from $50 million to $85 million.

“There was no negotiating,” Koepka said about his conversation last week with Brian Rolapp, the CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises. “It be supposed to wound — it does wound — but I realize. It be no longer speculated to be a straightforward direction. There is a few folks that bear been wound by it when I left, and I realize that’s fragment of coming support.”

For those not happy to see him return, Koepka said he looks forward to having private conversations outside the media.

“The first week I will likely be a microscopic bit bit apprehensive,” Koepka said. “There is loads going on than honest golf. I will likely be delighted to construct the predominant week unhurried me — going thru the media, going thru the players, after which getting a few of those more difficult conversations. Nevertheless I am taking a gaze forward to it.

“Am I nervous? Yes. Am I excited? Yes. In a weird way, I want to have those conversations.”

Jordan Spieth stated Koepka honest indispensable to be the a associated one who left.

“You’re not going to ask somebody to change to please other people,” Spieth stated. “I don’t think he needs to play Monday pro-ams or walk along the range and shake everyone’s and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ He just comes back and plays really good golf. That’s good for everybody.”

The board, led by a majority of players, signed off on the diagram. Koepka talked with Rolapp by phone Thursday evening, and he was at PGA Tour headquarters the following morning unaccompanied. He got right here in thru a side entrance.

The 35-Twelve months-broken-down Koepka, who’s exempt the following three years from his 2023 victory within the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, will return at Torrey Pines on Jan. 29. He also stated he would play the WM Phoenix Open, the build he won his first PGA Tour title in 2015 and won but again in 2021.

That can per chance present the predominant true test of how the general public feels — a Saturday afternoon on the 16th gap of the TPC Scottsdale, the rowdiest in golf even for players the followers don’t basically know.

“I’m able to tackle it,” Koepka said. “I revel within the crowd, and confidently each person is entirely tickled to gaze me. They cannot be inflamed at me endlessly.”

So why the change?

Note first began to circulation in November that negotiations between Koepka and LIV Golf — he had one Twelve months left on his contract — bear been no longer going well. He had publicly complained final summer season that LIV was no longer as some distance alongside as he would bear beloved.

And then Dec. 23 got right here the announcement from LIV of an “amicable” split, and Koepka reapplied for PGA Tour membership.

Koepka cited a knee trouble that has taken a toll on his physique and the must exhaust beyond regular time alongside with his household as the explanations to affix LIV. He cited the must exhaust beyond regular time at dwelling when he left LIV, critically after his indispensable other had a miscarriage final drop.

“I indispensable to be there with my household over the outdated couple of months. I indispensable to be closer to dwelling,” Koepka said. “I used to have the ability to gain out of the LIV contract, every thing lined up completely and I used to have the ability to gain support on tour.

“I am entirely tickled and grateful it was able to reach support to this.”

Koepka has not spoken publicly about how much he was offered to play for LIV, except for saying it was nine figures on a 2023 podcast with boxer Jake Paul. Also unclear was how much he had to pay back by leaving one year early.

Now it’s about playing again on familiar turf with players he saw only four times a year at the majors. He is close with several players who live in South Florida. Others he will see for the first time in the locker room, on the range, on the first tee.

“There is most definitely a blended get of ‘We’re entirely tickled you’re support, welcome dwelling’ to ‘It’s good to never be right here.’ I realize each person’s point of survey,” Koepka said. “I was going to be sitting out presumably a Twelve months, and I am extraordinarily grateful the tour gave me this chance.”