SAN DIEGO — Brooks Koepka’s return to the first round of the PGA Tour felt pretty ordinary Thursday afternoon.
He didn’t play particularly well on the South Course at Torrey Pines, didn’t make any real highlights, and didn’t have any real issues either on or off the field.
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But when Koepka’s final shot fell and he signed and turned in his scorecard from the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open, there seemed to be a sense of relief. The news of Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour is officially over, and he’s been thinking about it in one way or another for months.
“I think it’s good to address that,” Koepka said.
Koepka shot a 1-over 73 on Thursday to start his first non-major tour event in nearly four years. He shot 15 par that day, made only two bogeys, and had a birdie on the 18th green. Koepka is the first to leave LIV Golf under the new “Returning Membership Program,” which was created earlier this month and comes with significant financial and other penalties. He has repeatedly said he would do anything the Tour wants to get him back. Earlier this week, he explained that leaving LIV Golf was simply a family decision after months away from the game.
But Koepka had been trying for months to picture himself returning to the Tour — where he won nine times, including five majors before the golf world imploded — even before he knew the specifics of what needed to be done.
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Of course, everyone was nervous when he stepped onto the first tee Thursday. At least from the outside, it’s a bit unusual.
“[I was nervous] Just because I care,” he explained. “I think I’ve fallen in love with the sport all over again. Honestly, watching my son play, hopefully… he can see me playing well and realize how much this game has given me, how much fun it is, how cool it is to be here. “
Any concerns about heckling or poor reactions from fans are also completely unfounded. The line following Koepka grew throughout the morning, and at times was undoubtedly the largest on the course. As Koepka walks from one green to the next tee or across the fairway after hitting a shot, the fans following him seem excited about his return. Koepka would always say “Welcome back, Brooks!” from the first hole to the last. He also stopped to sign autographs and take photos with nearly everyone who asked him outside the clubhouse.
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His “uneasy” feeling about how he would be treated quickly disappeared.
“It’s like that on almost every hole, which is awesome,” he said. “I loved hearing the news and I’m excited for the next few days.”
Koepka seems most concerned about what people think of him.
“I care about what everyone here is thinking and doing, and [I’m] “I just want to be as good a person and a good player as I can,” he said, “and I just want a warm reception.” Just like everyone else, no one wants to feel like they’re outcast when you walk into a room. They just want to be loved. I mean, I think that’s just human nature. “
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Although this round of competition is over, Koepka still has a long way to go before entering the competition for the third tour stop of the season.
When he entered the clubhouse, he was tied for 96th on the leaderboard and 11 shots behind the leader. This deficit will only grow further as other areas wind down. Koepka will play Friday in the second round at Torrey Pines on the North Course, where he will try to advance on a side that appeared to be scoring much better than the South Course on Thursday.
But it doesn’t matter whether he makes the cut or not. Koepka can finally start moving forward again.
“I’m the only person in the world going through this, so it’s hard to explain,” he said. “But I enjoyed it, really.”