All eyes were naturally on Brooks Koepka as he made his return to the PGA Tour following his exit from LIV Golf.
Back in December, Koepka became the first high-profile player to actively pursue a departure from LIV. The PGA Tour responded by making it easy for him to come back without delay.
The five-time major winner’s comeback was set for the Farmers Insurance Open, marking his first appearance of the year.
But it quickly became apparent that this was not going to be a smooth comeback story. He found himself battling just to stay above the cut line in the early stages.
What Trevor Immelman has picked up on since Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour comeback
Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines saw him struggle with his putting, even though he was striking the ball well.
But despite the issues on the greens, there were positives to take away from his performance.
Trevor Immelman, speaking on CBS Sports after the third round, noted a shift in Koepka’s demeanour.
Immelman stated: “He seemed more emotional to me than what I ever remember through his career. It appears that he has unbelievable gratitude and appreciation for this opportunity to be back on the PGA Tour. He’s had a brilliant reception from fans and players.
“And all in all, I’d say it’s a pretty solid performance. Tee to green, he really actually has played quite well. The putter has been absolutely horrendous. He knows that. He just told us that he’s going to have to find a solution for that moving forward. But all in all, I give this a pretty solid starting week for him, and I look for him to build on that next week at WM which is a place we know he loves and he’s won at a couple of times.”
Brooks Koepka’s early struggles do not change the fact that there is plenty of hope for the rest of 2026
It is worth remembering that there are still a number of players on LIV who have absolutely no interest in making a move back. Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau are among those expected to turn down the chance to return ahead of this month’s deadline.
But even before Koepka left LIV, it was clear he was not entirely happy. His family had been dealing with a really tough time off the course, and it seemed to weigh on him throughout his last few months there.
There were times during his final season on LIV when Koepka’s frustration was clear. So, heading into 2026, it looked like he needed a change, no matter what form that took.
When the five-time major winner finds his rhythm, he is one of the game’s top competitors. And you have to think that if he feels settled both on and off the course, his chances of adding more majors go up significantly.
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