Brooks Koepka will make his dramatic return to the PGA Tour later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The new PGA Tour season begins this week with the Sony Open, held at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Koepka news broke on Monday when the PGA Tour players were working on their games on the driving range.
Koepka was reinstated by the PGA Tour after Brian Rolapp created the Returning Member Program.
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Due to the strict criteria of the program, only three other golfers from LIV are able to take advantage of it – Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith.
It has been claimed that the PGA Tour have played the Brooks Koepka situation perfectly.
He has been allowed back, but only after being handed severe financial penalties.
What happened at the Sony Open when Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return broke
In spite of the financial penalties Koepka will have to pay, there will surely still be PGA Tour players who aren’t happy one little bit with the fact that the 35-year-old has been allowed back.
Numerous players have been outspoken about this issue in the past.
Earlier this year, Lucas Glover said he didn’t want to play alongside LIV golfers ever again.
And Glover obviously isn’t the only one who holds that opinion.
So Brooks Koepka will undoubtedly have some awkward conversations when he returns to the PGA Tour.
Golf journalist Adam Schupak has lifted the lid on the reactions of the PGA Tour players at the Sony Open, when they found out that Koepka was returning.
He said: “I’m not at the Sony Open this year but I talked to someone who is and said more players on their phones than hitting balls at the range.
Lots of chatter about Brooks coming back. Jason Gore, the player turned Tour exec, I’m told is getting an earful.“
There will obviously be some players who have rejected moves to LIV Golf in the past, in order to remain loyal to the PGA Tour.
They will now be asking some serious questions of the Tour.
The PGA Tour have played the Brooks Koepka situation perfectly
Brian Rolapp said it best in the final part of his statement on Monday.
“We will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger.
Why should Brooks Koepka be allowed back on the PGA Tour?
He made his bed, now he should have to lie in it…right?
This is part of our commitment to fans, who expect the world’s best players to compete on the PGA Tour week in and week out.“
Fans want to see Koepka back competing against the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
The same can be said for the likes of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
There definitely will be some PGA Tour players who are unhappy with the Brooks Koepka outcome.
However, his return will unquestionably be better for everyone in the long term, especially from a financial perspective.
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