Brooks Koepka made a controversial comeback to the PGA Tour earlier this year, returning from LIV Golf.
Koepka was allowed to rejoin the PGA Tour via a new returning member programme, which involved the player making a sizeable charitable donation.
The five-time major champion decided to quit the PGA Tour in 2022, joining the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf tour.
But Koepka is now a regular on the PGA Tour once more, having made six starts this season, with his current focus now on The Masters.
However, legendary figure Tom Watson is against the move, having just shared his verdict at Augusta National, where he was an honorary starter.
Tom Watson disagrees with Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour
Watson was asked for his thoughts on Koepka as the major got underway, to which he said: “The Tour made a decision to renege on what they promised when the players left for LIV.
“They felt that the compensation that he’s paid is good enough. I thought the LIV players, when they left, they were supposed to be banned for life.
“If I was commissioner, that’s what I would do.
“I’d say if you’re finished with your contract with LIV Golf, if you want to play the PGA Tour again, you come back, and you must play the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for it.
“They saw it differently. When the players left, they violated the number one rule that we really had out here, which is to protect the sponsors.
“Sponsors need players. They need the names to be able to promote their tournaments.
“If the players play wherever they want to play without a conflicting event rule, where you had to seek the permission of the PGA Tour to play in a tournament opposite of a PGA Tour tournament, the sponsors would be hurt by that.
“I think we all understood that. When the players left for LIV, I think it was basically over.
“They chose to go for the money, which is fine, but to return to the Tour, I thought, was a nonstarter, but apparently it’s not.”
Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return will continue to divide opinion
Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour has definitely divided opinion and will continue to do so, with Watson pulling no punches with his perspective.
But the former is not the only man to make such a controversial decision, with his fellow American Patrick Reed having done the same.
The pair were regular winners before their defections, with the former LIV Golf duo each boasting nine career PGA Tour wins.
Like Koepka, Reed is a former major champion and is also in the field for The Masters at Augusta this week, a tournament he won in 2018.
Such prestige, however, is clearly of little significance for golfing royalty Watson, who claimed eight major wins during his stellar career.
Likewise, Koepka will likely be indifferent towards such an opinion, with the experienced golfer having emerged as a real winner from the entire ordeal.
He will have earned huge money during his years playing on LIV Golf, and has now been able to return to the PGA Tour with very few issues.
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