Brooks Koepka has rejoined the PGA Tour after nearly four years away, having first left for LIV Golf back in 2022.
The announcement came earlier this month, not long after Koepka had decided to leave the Saudi-funded league.
Even though the PGA Tour has emphasised that Koepka faced multiple financial and competitive penalties before his return, not everyone is pleased with how quickly he’s been brought back into the fold.
Koepka, meanwhile, appears to be looking forward to his comeback. He’s scheduled to tee it up at the Farmers Insurance Open later this week.
But his return might not be entirely smooth sailing. Early indications suggest he could be in for a few tough conversations with fellow players at Torrey Pines.
Hideki Matsuyama surprised by Brooks Koepka’s quick PGA Tour return
PGA Tour star Hideki Matsuyama is one of the few players to have publicly expressed his surprise over how easily Koepka was able to return.
Most players have welcomed the five-time major champion back to the tour, but Matsuyama’s comments stand out. Wyndham Clark admitted feeling mixed emotions about Koepka’s comeback, and Matsuyama has gone even further.
The 2021 Masters champion spoke with Golf Digest Japan about Koepka’s return, making it clear he has some concerns.
“I was shocked to hear about it in the news,” Matsuyama said. “I thought, ‘He can come back…?’ He achieved results on LIV, so that’s probably why they took that measure.”
Matsuyama continued: “I have nothing against the player himself. I actually think Brooks is pretty impressive for having the courage to make that decision [to terminate his LIV contract].”
“But I do question why the PGA Tour didn’t explain things to the players beforehand. At the very least, I wasn’t aware such a rule existed.”
“While there’s a financial hit, what about the non-monetary aspects? What happened to the idea that players who joined LIV couldn’t compete on the PGA Tour for a year… That’s what I’m more concerned about.”
Matsuyama finished by saying: “We’re the ones playing. The PGA Tour makes decisions. It doesn’t matter what we say.”
Matsuyama isn’t pleased with how quickly Koepka was allowed back on tour, and he raises a valid point about what happened to that supposed year-long ban from competing after leaving LIV.
Koepka’s return was a calculated move by the PGA Tour
The decision to let Koepka back in was pretty straightforward, with the PGA Tour hoping to send a strong message against LIV Golf. Even if it hasn’t stopped LIV outright, they’re clearly feeling the pressure.
Losing Koepka and Reed is a blow for them, and without a long-term commitment from Jon Rahm, they’re starting to look thin at the top.
From the PGA Tour’s perspective, things have been looking up lately.
Matsuyama’s remarks serve as a reminder that not everyone is pleased with how things are being handled internally.
His point is hard to ignore. You’d think players would be kept in the loop about major decisions like this.
Matsuyama certainly won’t be alone in feeling this way. A lack of communication will only make it harder for players to support leadership moving forward.
- READ MORE: Ludvig Aberg shares his true feelings about LIV Golf after Patrick Reed rejoins the PGA Tour
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