HONOLULU — Brooks Koepka returns to a daily PGA Tour occasion for the primary time in 4 years on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open and is anticipating a nervous power.
Solely a part of it has to do together with his golf.
It stays to be seen how he will likely be acquired on and off the ropes, as the primary participant to be invited again to the PGA Tour in 2022 after robbing Saudi Arabia’s wealth and sending him into exile within the LIV Golf League.
“We now have quite a lot of work to do with a few of our gamers,” Koepka mentioned in a cellphone interview Monday. “Some persons are undoubtedly going to be completely satisfied, and there is undoubtedly going to be some people who find themselves going to be indignant. Financially, it is a extreme punishment. I perceive precisely why the tour did that. It was meant to harm. But it surely (his departure) damage lots of people.”
“If somebody is upset, I have to rebuild that relationship.”
Koepka was cleared to return beneath a one-time reinstatement membership program developed and accredited by the PGA Tour Board of Administrators final week. Applies solely to gamers who win a serious or Gamers Championship in 2022 or later.
The penalties embrace a $5 million donation to a charity decided by the tour, no entry to the FedEx Cup bonus in 2026, no sponsorship exemption for the $20 million signature occasion, and most significantly, no fairness grants to the PGA Tour for the subsequent 5 years.
The PGA Tour estimates the monetary influence is price between $50 million and $85 million, based mostly on Koepka’s efficiency at a stage that may earn him 5 majors.
“There have been no negotiations,” Koepka mentioned of his dialog final week with PGA Tour Enterprises CEO Brian Rolup. “It is meant to harm, and it definitely hurts, however I perceive. It is not going to be a straightforward street. There’s lots of people who have been damage once I left, and I perceive that is a part of coming again.”
For many who aren’t completely satisfied about his return, Koepka mentioned he appears to be like ahead to having a personal dialog exterior of the media.
“The primary week goes to be a bit of nerve-wracking,” Koepka mentioned. “There’s so much occurring, not simply golf. I am keen to neglect the primary week, together with media relations, participant relations and the powerful conversations afterwards. However I am wanting ahead to it.
“Am I nervous? Sure. Excited? Sure. In a bizarre approach, that is the form of dialog I wish to have.”
Jordan Spieth mentioned Koepka simply must be the identical particular person he left.
“I am not going to ask anybody to vary to please another person,” Spieth mentioned. “I do not assume he must play within the pro-am on Monday or stroll across the apply vary and shake all people’s hand and say, ‘I am sorry.’ He will come again and play some actually good golf. That is good for everybody.”
The board, led by a majority of gamers, accredited the plan. Koepka spoke to Rolup by cellphone Thursday night time and was at PGA Tour headquarters the subsequent morning, unaccompanied. He entered via the aspect entrance.
Koepka, 35, will likely be exempt from competing for the subsequent three years after profitable the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, however he’s scheduled to return to Torrey Pines on Jan. 29. He additionally mentioned he’ll play within the WM Phoenix Open, the place he received his first PGA Tour title in 2015 and received back-to-back titles in 2021.
It might be the primary actual take a look at of how the general public feels — even for gamers followers do not know a lot about, Saturday afternoon on the sixteenth gap at TPC Scottsdale, one among golf’s noisiest holes.
“I am nice,” Koepka mentioned. “It is enjoyable to have an viewers and hopefully everybody will likely be completely satisfied to see me. They cannot keep mad at me ceaselessly.”
So why the change?
Rumors first started circulating in November that negotiations between Koepka and LIV Golf (who had one 12 months left on his contract) weren’t going properly. He publicly complained final summer time that LIV wasn’t progressing as a lot as he had hoped.
Then, on December 23, LIV introduced an “amicable” breakup and Koepka reapplied for membership on the PGA Tour.
Koepka cited a knee damage that took a toll on his physique and a need to spend extra time together with his household as causes for becoming a member of LIV. He cited the necessity to spend extra time at dwelling when he give up LIV, particularly after his spouse suffered a miscarriage final fall.
“I wanted to be with my household the previous couple of months. I wanted to be near dwelling,” Koepka mentioned. “I used to be in a position to launch my contract with LIV and the whole lot was good and I used to be in a position to get again on tour.
“I’m completely satisfied and grateful that this was potential.”
Koepka has not publicly mentioned how a lot his supply to play in LIV was, besides to say on a 2023 podcast with boxer Jake Paul that it was 9 figures. It was additionally unclear how a lot he must repay by quitting a 12 months early.
Now it is about enjoying once more on acquainted turf with gamers he solely met 4 instances a 12 months within the majors. He’s near a number of gamers in South Florida. He will likely be seeing some gamers for the primary time within the locker room, on the apply discipline and on the primary tee.
“It is in all probability a mix of ‘I am glad you are again, welcome again,’ and ‘I should not be right here.’ I perceive everybody’s level,” Koepka mentioned. “I used to be planning on taking a hiatus for in all probability a 12 months. I am very grateful that the tour gave me this chance.”
