SAN DIEGO (AP) — Without a trophy, Brooks Koepka would never have considered anything less than a dream week and certainly not a tie for 56th, 19 shots behind the winner. But it feels like being in Torrey Pines.
“You always have that little voice in the back of your head,” Koepka said weeks before returning to the PGA Tour after reaping the Saudi fortune in four seasons at LIV Golf. He was referring to whether the PGA Tour would offer a path back, which it did.
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There were also questions about the way he was received in the locker room, on the practice field, in front of the microphone and especially outside the ropes – that little voice. This made him uneasy.
Koepka has every reason to be so grateful to Torrey Pines. “Welcome back” was the refrain on Thursday, and it never stopped until he made birdie on Sunday.
What was strange about the atmosphere, however, was that Koepka had never received such a hug before heading to London International Airport. He was full of air. He’s a big, bad Brooks. People admired him more than they worshiped him.
Why so loving?
“I don’t have an answer,” Koepka said after the third round. “It’s hard to put yourself in their shoes. But, it’s cool. I love it. I think it’s great. I think people are excited. I’m glad they’re excited to see me back and have me back. I hope it continues.”
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As Koepka walked to the 18th green on the South Course in front of a large crowd during the first round, there was another small voice. This is what an onlooker said:
“Welcome back, Brooks. Travel is better with you.”
Koepka is more than just a five-time major champion and former world No. 1 player. He may be seen as a symbol of golf’s broken landscape slowly recovering. That’s what fans want.
LIV golf was the talk of the town all week at Torrey Pines. It started when Koepka arrived on Monday. That was followed by news on Wednesday that former Masters champion Patrick Reed would also be leaving LIV to play a full European Tour schedule with an eye on a return to the PGA Tour.
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The tour also welcomes him back, although Reed will have to wait until September.
Koepka isn’t the solution, and Jon Rahm may not think he’s going to force unification LIV with his decision the way Jon Rahm thinks he will. But he could be the flickering light at the end of the tunnel.
“As you can see, the dominoes are starting to fall,” Harris English said. “Maybe those who are on the LIV Tour are not that happy and the grass is not greener on the other side. They see the PGA Tour getting stronger and more successful and see that money is not the end goal, and that doesn’t satisfy them.”
It’s always about money. This is why so many players leave LIV in the first place. While established tournaments will always provide relevance, even players who hate everything about LIV appreciate what a rival league can do for their bank accounts.
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“We’ve all benefited from this chaos in some way,” Justin Rose said a week before coming to Torrey Pines and setting a tournament scoring record.
Rose mentioned the PGA Tour’s equity stakes and the 11 tournaments (not including majors) that currently offer $20 million in prize money.
“But we need a quality product,” Ross said. Then he added, referring specifically to Koepka: “This is the first time we’ve had a game-changing guy come back to us.”
Koepka and Reed have strengthened the PGA Tour and weakened LIV, which got off to a rocky start in its 2026 debut this week in Saudi Arabia. Phil Mickelson (family matter) and Lee Westwood (injury) have announced they will not start the new year in Saudi Arabia or Australia.
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Koepka did everything well at Torrey Pines except putting on the bluegrass greens. He’s grateful to the PGA Tour for bringing him back, and it shows. He talked about falling in love with golf again and how much he cared, a rare side of Koepka.
“Just like everybody else, no one wants to feel like they’re outcast when you walk into a room,” Koepka said. “They just want to be loved.”
For Koepka, his goal is Phoenix. Barring a runner-up finish or better to advance to the signature event, he will next compete in his hometown event in West Palm Beach, Florida. As one longtime caddy noted, “People won’t be talking about this in three weeks.” He might be right.
But the PGA Tour has clear momentum, and Koepka is a big part of it.
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During its last visit to Torrey Pines, where the Genesis Invitational was being relocated due to deadline wildfires near the Riviera, there was optimism that a deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi team was close.
Now it’s as remote as ever, and Adam Scott doesn’t see that changing. He believes the best chance of reaching any agreement is when LIV is only a year old. LIV is now entering its fifth season.
When President Donald Trump met with PGA Tour executives and the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund last year, Scott, who serves as White House player director, said: “The timing has to be aligned to bring something big and complex together.”
“LIV’s time was running out, but it is now,” he said. “It’s getting harder. That’s what I’ve observed from a million miles up. They’re four years in and they’ve made some progress. They’re going in their own direction, and maybe it’s easier when there’s less direction.”
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Where this will all go now remains to be seen. Scott still believes “everything will end well.”
“I don’t know what they’re doing,” he said. “I love what we do. It feels good here.”
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On The Fringe breaks down the hottest topics in golf this season. AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
