Brooks Koepka reveals Tiger Woods’ role in PGA Tour return…
SAN DIEGO — Brooks Koepka was free of the final yr of his contract with Saudi-funded LIV Golf and the first particular person he called was Tiger Woods. Three weeks later, the PGA Tour created a path again for him that begins at Torrey Pines.
Koepka said Tuesday he can’t anticipate the week to end because of all the consideration. The gratitude of returning to the PGA Tour comes with the form of nerves the five-time major champion not often experiences — questioning what others suppose about him.
“It feels a little bit different,” he said ahead of the Farmers Insurance Open, his first non-major on the PGA Tour since he misplaced in the quarterfinals of the Match Play in March 2022. “I’m definitely a little bit more nervous this week just coming back. But it feels good. I’m super grateful to be back.”
Koepka cited the must be nearer to household as his main cause for wanting out of LIV. His spouse announced in early October she had a being pregnant loss at 16 weeks.
Brooks Koepka of the United States speaks to the media previous to the Farmers Insurance Open 2026 at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 27, 2026 in La Jolla, California. Getty Images
Woods was partially liable for Koepka’s path again, together with other player-directors on the PGA Tour board who labored with CEO Brian Rolapp in developing with a plan for choose gamers to return. Koepka is the first LIV defector, and it got here at a value.
He is making a $5 million charity contribution (still to be determined with the tour), receives no FedEx Cup bonus cash this yr and has no entry to fairness shares in the PGA Tour for 5 years, a worth the tour has estimated at $50 million and past.
He also can’t play the $20 million signature occasions until he qualifies on his personal.
“I guess it’s a fresh start for me, which is cool,” Koepka said. “It’s just another chapter I guess in my book. I’m excited for that. I feel like my game’s in pretty good shape and I want to see where it’s at. Obviously this week is a little bit different. Would just like to get this week over and just feel like I can start playing golf again.”
Tiger Woods of The United States, the tournament host, watches the gamers heat up on the driving vary during the final round of the Hero World Challenge 2025 at Albany Golf Course on December 07, 2025 in Nassau, Bahamas. Getty Images
Woods never contemplated going to LIV and disparaged those who did — “They’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,” he said a month after LIV started — and he now is the main participant’s voice on the PGA Tour board.
Koepka said he’s always had an excellent relationship with Woods. Besides, he had never met Rolapp, who had been on the job barely six months. Commissioner Jay Monahan, who attended Koepka’s wedding ceremony a month before Koepka left for LIV in 2022, would have been next on his checklist.
“I felt like Tiger was somebody that I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to deal with things and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me,” Koepka said.
Woods has been among a number of gamers who supported the choice to let Koepka again in, saying it made the PGA Tour stronger and in the end would elevate worth for gamers who’ve been receiving fairness shares. “It’s a win for everyone,” Woods said earlier this month.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 participant who shares the same supervisor as Koepka, also supported the choice.
“I think it’s good getting someone back on tour that want to be back,” Scheffler said last week. “Brooks had a desire to come back to the tour. The last few months he certainly had a large desire to get back to the tour, and I’m glad that Brian and the team and the board was able to find an avenue for him to be able to get back and start competing out here again.”
Brooks Koepka reacts at his shot while on the 18th fairway during the 125TH US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA on June 15, 2025. Michael Longo / For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Images
Still to be decided, at both Torrey Pines or next week in the Phoenix Open, is how golf followers obtain a participant who bolted from the PGA Tour after the 2022 U.S. Open for a rival league that was paying outrageous signing bonuses. Koepka as soon as confirmed his was “nine figures.”
“Maybe I’m a little nervous about that as well, just to see how the fans respond to it,” Koepka said. “I hope that they’re excited. I hope that they’re happy that I’m out here.”
Koepka couldn’t keep in mind the last time he was at a tournament on Monday apart from the majors. Just pulling into the parking zone was such a blur that he doesn’t recall whom he first noticed. There had been hugs with Billy Horschel and Harris English on the vary.
And then it was off to the South Course to play the again 9. He performed with rookie Marcelo Rozo. Joining them on the 18th tee had been Akshay Bhatia and Matti Schmid, neither of them on the PGA Tour when Koepka left. Nearly half of the area in the Wednesday pro-am didn’t even have PGA Tour playing cards when Koepka left.
Brooks Koepka of the United States speaks to the media previous to the Farmers Insurance Open 2026 at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 27, 2026 in La Jolla, California. Getty Images
“There’s a lot of new faces,” Koepka said. “But excited to meet those guys and feel like I’m part of the tour.”
He returns to a PGA Tour in the midst of big modifications. Woods leads the Future Competition Committee that is reshaping the schedule so that every event looks like a big one. There are 11 tournaments with prize cash of no less than $20 million, not counting the 4 majors.
Is it better than when he left?
“I’m two days in,” Koepka said with a smile.
Justin Rose answered that for him last week when requested about Koepka’s return.
“We’ve all benefited from this chaos in one way or another,” Rose said. “It’s been good for tour gamers in the sense the powers that be pushed a bit more durable in our path with fairness in the tour and prize funds.
“But we need a premium product,” he said. “And this is the first time we’ve had someone who moves the needle come back our way.”
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