Brooks Koepka confirms PGA Tour suspicions before hedging

A lot has been made of the division within professional golf. The emergence of LIV Golf in 2022 split the sport, with several top PGA Tour stars jumping ship. Maybe the biggest name at that time to make the change was five-time major winner Brooks Koepka.

In recent months, rumors surfaced that Koepka was unhappy with his situation at LIV.

On Friday, Koepka addressed the rumors with The Times, dropping some very interesting comments.

“I still have a good relationship with everybody there,” Koepka said.

“There’s a lot of ‘what-ifs’, but I’d be open to playing certain [PGA Tour] events. Like, I love Phoenix, The Cognizant Classic, because it’s my hometown. I’d love to play Dunhill, but if we can’t, that’s OK.”

It appears as though at that moment, the three-time PGA Championship winner realized how those comments might be perceived. He then backtracked a bit, lending credence to his current employer, LIV Golf.

“I’ve made my decision. I think each year at LIV has got better. And that should be the goal, right?”

While at LIV Golf Miami earlier this week, Koepka admitted to feeling as though LIV has fallen behind. He sat alongside Bryson DeChambeau, who more or less, provided coach-speak on the matter.

But Koepka has never been one to mince words.

The rumors of his desire to return to the PGA Tour really ramped up last month. Fred Couples, the legendary golf figure, plainly stated as much. He detailed their close relationship and revealed a conversation where Koepka reportedly expressed his desire to return.

LIV Golf has struggled to garner much attention. The television viewership has been appalling, despite the recent deal with FOX Sports. They have also struggled to gain much traction with sponsors.

But none of that truly speaks to why Brooks Koepka would entertain the idea of leaving.

He has always made it very clear that leaving a masterful legacy is his goal. It is becoming more and more difficult to do so at LIV Golf. Players on the Saudi-backed circuit still do not accrue Official World Golf Rankings points, something that was allegedly promised would change. That has left many of them plummeting in the rankings.

Koepka has exemptions into the majors for a few more years thanks to his 2023 PGA Championship win. But even that will eventually run dry.

His contract expires at the end of the 2026 season, alongside DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, and a host of others. Will he re-sign or cross back over to the PGA Tour? Only time will tell.