Is Brooks Koepka really planning a return to PGA Tour?
In a golf world that is still torn, Brooks Koepka appears to be above the fray.
It has been almost a year since the 2023 PGA Championship winner left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, but the 33-year-old pro hasn't taken the same "us against them" stance many on Greg Norman's breakaway circuit have. He practiced with Rory McIlroy ahead of the Masters. He pushed aside questions about being in contact with Norman after becoming the first LIV golfer to win a major. He even said he was more focused on his own game than using his win to promote the Saudi Arabia-funded league.
"Yeah, it's a huge thing for LIV, but at the same time, I'm out here competing as an individual at the PGA Championship," Koepka said, via the Mirror.
With comments like that, golf fans and critics alike have started asking the question his week: Could Brooks Koepka be the first LIV golfer to return to the PGA Tour?
For starters, everyone should remember why Koepka left in the first place. The Florida native suffered a plethora of injuries following his last major victory in 2019, which affected both his game and his confidence. The drive to get back on track is what made LIV Golf appealing: fewer events for a huge payday.
Koepka admitted after winning the Wanamaker Trophy last weekend that things might have been different had he been healthy when he decided to leave the PGA Tour.
"Honestly, yeah, probably, if I'm being completely honest," he told reporters. "I think it would have been [different if I was healthy]. But I'm happy with the decision I made."
With that in mind, is it more possible that Koepka focuses predominantly on majors while keeping to LIV Golf's lenient schedule instead of rejoining the PGA Tour?
There's also the matter of LIV Golf contracts being designed to not be broken. As Sports Illustrated detailed back in March, the penalty for breaking a LIV Golf contract can be up to four times a player's signing bonus. So even if Koepka wanted to leave LIV and return to the PGA Tour, doing so before his four-year contract is up would cost him some serious cheddar.
With all of that in mind, it isn't likely Koepka is rejoining the PGA Tour any time in the near future. But is the door open for him to do it in the future if he wants to? It certainly seems possible.
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