Golf legend Tiger Woods has revealed his true feelings about Brooks Koepka rejoining the PGA Tour after departing LIV Golf.
The 35-year-old American joined LIV in June 2022 as part of a wave of big-name defections from the PGA. A former world number one during his initial stint with the PGA, Koepka enjoyed a fair degree of success with Liv, winning five tournaments.
However, Kopeka is now officially once again part of the PGA ranks, becoming the first player to rejoin under the ‘Returning Player Program [RPP]’. For most players who left the PGA for Liv, though, there is still no route back.
The RPP allows defectors to rejoin the PGA Tour, but only if they won The Players Championship or a major championship in 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025. This means that only Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith were eligible to make the switch back.
PGA Tour Return Set to Cost Kopeka A Fortune in Penalties
While Koepka has taken advantage of the program, DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith have all confirmed that they do not intend to follow in his footsteps this year. When you consider the eye-watering financial penalties Koepka has had to accept in order to return to the PGA, it’s easy to understand why others might be hesitant.
The five-time Major winner is estimated to lose out on as much as $85 million over the next five years, as he will be ineligible for sponsor exemptions to $20 million signature events, and will also be ineligible for equity grants on the PGA Tour.
Speaking after announcing his decision, Koepka said of the penalties:
“There was no negotiating. It’s meant to hurt, it does hurt, but I understand. It’s not supposed to be an easy path. There’s a lot of people that were hurt by it when I left, and I understand that’s part of coming back. I’ve got a lot of work to do with some of the players. There’s definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry.”
Tiger Woods Addresses Brooks Kopeka’s PGA Tour Return
One of those who is thrilled to see Brooks back on the PGA Tour is 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods. Addressing the move in his role as chairman of the PGA Tour’s recently-created Future Competition Committee, Woods explained how the player’s return had come together.
He revealed that Koepka had written to PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp in late December, confirming his decision to leave LIV, while asking for re-admission to the PGA.
“We had lots of subsequent meetings, worked through the holidays,” Woods stated. “There were no days off. We just worked through it day after day after day, and we came out with a plan that we unveiled [the Returning Player Program].”
Woods went on to defend the program that allowed Koepka to return, as well as the hefty penalties levied against him.
“The whole idea is to make our tour better than what it was. He’s not taking a spot away from any player,” declared Woods. The 50-year-old icon also explained the motivation behind the harsh financial penalties Koepka faces.
“We wanted to implement a plan that would be fair and adequate, that justifies Brooks’ time away from our tour, the penalties served, the fines if necessary, what the integration would look like on our tour, and obviously the bonus payouts, yes or no.”
Woods also framed Koepka’s return as a win for everyone on the PGA Tour.
“With Brooks’s addition to the Tour, it does. It makes it a better place to play. Now with players who have earned equity—and there are four more years of potential earning of equity for these players—the fact that they own the tour, if Brooks plays, it puts more money in their pockets!”
Koepka is scheduled to play his first PGA Tour event since his return at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California, beginning on the 29th of January. It remains to be seen if others follow his lead in years to come.
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