The last time Brooks Koepka stalked the tight corridors of Torrey Pines at the 2021 U.S. Open, professional golf still felt intact.
Koepka arrived that week ranked 10th in the world, fresh off a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship and owning 10 top-10s in his previous 15 major starts. He carried the fourth-best odds to win, four major trophies in his bag, and an unmistakable edge — a cool detachment paired with supreme confidence that surfaced most often when the stakes were highest.
“I think sometimes the majors are the easiest ones to win,” Koepka said in 2019. “Half the people shoot themselves out of it, and mentally I know I can beat most of them.”
Nearly five years later, Koepka is back at Torrey Pines — but in a far different place.
Still dressed in Nike, but once again under the PGA Tour banner rather than LIV Golf’s, Koepka returned this week as a player no longer defined by dominance, but by reinvention. At his pre-tournament press conference, he was subdued and almost self-conscious, acknowledging both the unfamiliarity of the locker room and the weight of the moment.
“I’m definitely a little bit more nervous this week,” Koepka admitted. “There’s a lot of guys I don’t know.”
That tone mirrors where his game currently stands. Koepka entered the week ranked 255th in the Official World Golf Ranking — a byproduct of LIV’s lack of OWGR points — and 162nd in Data Golf. He has missed five cuts in his last eight non-LIV starts, including three missed cuts in majors last year. The bravado that once defined him may still exist, but it’s no longer front and center.
And yet, Koepka still matters.
Few players, even now, can command attention the way he does. The PGA Tour’s handling of his return made that abundantly clear. Koepka wasn’t simply added to the Farmers Insurance Open field — his comeback was loudly promoted across tour platforms. This season’s slogan, “Where the Best Belong,” was quickly repurposed into a promotional video featuring Koepka. He was placed in a featured group, and ESPN elevated coverage of his opening rounds to the main network.
“It’s always good to feel wanted and accepted,” Koepka said. “I’m excited — maybe a little antsy — to get to Thursday, because that’s where I feel most comfortable. Playing golf.”
Away from the microphones, Koepka appeared relieved to focus solely on his game. He spent long sessions grinding on the range, exchanging hugs and greetings with former peers while working closely with his caddie and coach. On Tuesday, he played Torrey Pines’ North Course alongside Fred Couples, who had publicly suggested months earlier that Koepka wanted back on the PGA Tour.
This week, Koepka’s scorecard almost feels secondary. His presence alone is a victory for a PGA Tour that is clearly recalibrating under CEO Brian Rolapp — a point underscored even further by Wednesday’s announcement that Patrick Reed will also return to the tour later this year.
“I think people want to be on the PGA Tour,” J.J. Spaun said. “It’s the best tour in the world, the most competitive. I think it speaks volumes about where the tour’s headed.”
If Koepka’s fast-tracked return felt like the PGA Tour bending its rules to reclaim star power, Reed’s pathway back carries even greater symbolism. Koepka was welcomed immediately. Reed, by contrast, will serve a suspension and return through an established process — a reminder that while the door is open, it isn’t consequence-free.
“After winning [in Dubai], I realized how much I missed the grind,” Reed told ESPN. “That dogfight — that’s who I am. I always saw myself coming back. I know I have to earn it, and I’m OK with that.”
Under Rolapp, the PGA Tour’s mandate is unmistakable: strengthen the product, even if it means setting aside old resentments. Reintegrating elite players matters more now than holding grudges from the sport’s fractured past.
By facilitating Koepka’s immediate return and establishing a clear framework for players like Reed, the tour has shifted the narrative. The question is no longer whether the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will coexist — it’s who might be next to come back.
“As you’re seeing, the dominoes are starting to fall,” Harris English said. “Maybe those guys aren’t as happy over there. They’re seeing the PGA Tour get stronger. Money’s not the end-all, be-all. They’re competitors. They want to play the biggest events against the best players — and that’s here.”
The tour is also leveraging LIV’s own structure. With players tied to contracts, some become de facto free agents once deals expire. The PGA Tour has created a return pathway that includes suspensions and restrictions — including no player equity eligibility through 2030 — ensuring reentry comes at a cost.
Whether that balance satisfies players who stayed loyal remains to be seen.
“For players, it’s sensitive,” said Adam Scott, a PGA Tour policy board member. “We’re conscious of the membership, but also of what fans want to see. Not everything can stay firm forever. We have to be open-minded.”
Scott said the decision to create the returning member program — and allow Koepka back immediately — was unanimous. Maverick McNealy added that while the player advisory council wasn’t involved directly, Rolapp personally briefed members to ensure transparency.
As news of Reed’s return rippled through Torrey Pines, Rolapp could be found on the range and putting green, speaking directly with players. Publicly, at least, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“That’s one of Brian’s strengths — clear communication,” McNealy said. “Go back a couple years and think how uncertain everything felt. Now this really feels like the place to play the highest level of golf. And that’s what’s happened over the last couple of weeks.”
Koepka’s return may not restore the aura he once carried, but it does reinforce something just as important: the PGA Tour is no longer reacting. It’s attacking — and bringing its stars home.
