Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return has split opinion in the locker room.
At first, it seemed that all the big names were on the same page about Brooks Koepka. Rory McIlroy was critical of Koepka’s move to LIV, but he welcomed him back to the PGA Tour with open arms. As did the likes of Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele.
It seemed that tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s bold gamble had paid off. He risked a civil war by allowing Koepka to return to the PGA Tour immediately, but through delicate diplomacy, he’s got the biggest names in golf singing from the same hymn sheet.
That was until Wyndham Clark criticized the decision, and reports suggest he’s not alone in disliking Rolapp’s decision. Perhaps this isn’t as universally popular as it once seemed.
But the opinions that really count are those from the biggest stars on the tour. McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood have already given Koepka’s return the stamp of approval, but what does Scottie Scheffler think?
Scottie Scheffler reacts to Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return
World number one Scheffler is one of the few needle movers in golf. It would be foolish for Rolapp to make any decision like this without having him on board, but it seems that he’s with McIlroy and Fleetwood on the Koepka debate.
Speaking on Katrek & Maginnes On Tap, he said, “I’m excited for Brooks. I’m glad that we were able to get him back on tour.
“He had a desire to come back on tour. I’m not sure when it began, but I’m sure in the last few months he’s had a pretty strong desire to be back out here, and I’m glad that Brian and the guys on our board were able to figure out a way for him to get back and start competing out here.
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“I think it’s good for the tour, especially in the long run. I think it’s great to have a guy who loves to compete out here, like Brooks does. I think he’s won five majors and a few more tournaments out here on tour.
“He’s a guy that loves to compete, and I love to compete against him. And I’m looking forward to getting to do that a lot more often this year.”
Scheffler has been critical of players leaving for LIV, and famously stood in the putting line of Cameron Smith after his departure to the Saudi-backed league was announced. But it seems that above his personal vendettas, Scheffler wants what is best for the PGA Tour.
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Koepka’s decision to join LIV Golf was different to many of the other stars. He’s very well-liked among his competitors and dodged the majority of the venom spat towards LIV from PGA Tour players.
Scheffler was among the players who respected Koepka’s decision to leave, despite not agreeing with it.
He said “[Koepka leaving] was definitely a surprise for me,” Scheffler said. “I was at a function with him last week and that definitely wasn’t what we had in mind.
“We were focused on building the PGA Tour and getting the guys that are staying here together and kind of just having talks and figuring out how we can help benefit the Tour, so to see Brooks leave was definitely a surprise for us.
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“With that being said, he’s made his decision, I’m not going to knock him for doing that.
“For me, it’s not where I see myself heading anytime soon. I grew up wanting to be on the PGA Tour. I grew up dreaming of playing in these events, I didn’t grow up dreaming of playing the Centurion Club in London or whatever it is. I grew up wanting to play in the Masters, in Austin, at Colonial, the Byron Nelson.
“I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything at this moment in time. Those memories to me are invaluable. I would never risk going and losing the opportunity to go back to Augusta every year. There’s nothing I would want to do right now that would risk having any sort of effect on the way my life is now.”
Eventually, Koepka saw things the same way, and now he’s ready to tee off at some of those iconic venues on the PGA Tour. Now we wait to see if others will follow.
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