The PGA Tour finds itself in unfamiliar territory as Brooks Koepka becomes the first high-profile player to attempt a return after his stint with LIV Golf.
There has been speculation for weeks about what the future holds for Brooks Koepka. Of course, the 35-year-old decided to leave LIV Golf ahead of the final year of his contract back in December.
The PGA Tour has now confirmed that Koepka will be back on the course before the month is out, with his return set for the Farmers Insurance Open.
Ben Griffin backs PGA Tour’s new policy as Brooks Koepka returns from LIV Golf
Koepka’s return has led to the introduction of the Returning Member Program, which allows players who have won The Players Championship or a major since 2022 to rejoin the PGA Tour before February 2nd.
For those still with LIV, this only applies to Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
Griffin spoke with Golf Channel ahead of the Sony Open in Hawaii this week and said he supports those players being given a path back.
“The reason I play professional golf is honestly, at this point in my career, is really to compete against the best players,” he said. “I know for me, I’m excited about it. I think it’s a great move by Brian to allow this opportunity and to give him an option to come back and pay some sort of consequence and compete against us.”
“I think there’s probably an alignment with me and a lot of other players out here that really want to compete against the best players. I definitely think Brooks Koepka is one of those guys, especially based on his resume. I’m looking forward to it.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming Brooks. I haven’t got to have any sort of relationship with him yet, but I’m all for it.”
What PGA Tour players unhappy with Koepka’s return will need to understand
Koepka’s return hasn’t been met with universal approval. The fallout from the exodus of 2022 still lingers, even if the worst of it has faded.
Some players are bound to hold onto old grudges, but Griffin thinks the decision is the right one for where golf is headed.
“In terms of the guys who aren’t sure about Brooks coming or not, or maybe aren’t happy about it, everyone’s going to have their opinions. I think it’s what’s best for the future of golf,” he said.
“Rory’s talked a lot about it, a lot of other players talk about how great the majors are, having the best players all together. And that’s what the PGA Tour wants to have, they want to have the best players compete against each other every single week and they obviously believe that Brooks Koepka’s one of those.
“Obviously, his resume proves that and I think it’s going to be good for the PGA Tour moving forward. I think most guys are going to realise that.”
Whether or not this move pays off remains to be seen. But early signs suggest Ponte Vedra might have got this one right.
If Koepka ends up being the only player who comes back through this window, it still sends a clear message from inside Ponte Vedra. It also highlights just how much ground LIV Golf players have left before similar opportunities open up again.
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