Brooks Koepka, a five-time main winner who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 however give up the Saudi-backed sequence final month, has utilized for PGA reinstatement, ESPN and Golf Channel reported Saturday (all occasions AEDT).
The 35-year-old American, a nine-time PGA Tour champion and five-time LIV winner, departed LIV with a 12 months remaining on his $100 million contract, however it was unclear when he is perhaps allowed to return to the PGA Tour, in response to the experiences.
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ESPN reported that the PGA Tour will start a reinstatement and disciplinary course of that features enter from gamers on the board of administrators.
Koepka, a two-time US Open champion and three-time PGA Championship winner, has not competed in a PGA Tour occasion for the reason that Valspar Championship in March 2022.
After leaping to LIV Golf, Koepka grew to become the primary energetic LIV golfer to win a significant title when he captured the 2023 PGA at Oak Hill, which has made him eligible to compete in all 4 majors this 12 months.
Koepka received the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock, the place this 12 months’s US Open might be contested in June.
The PGA Tour ban on Koepka didn’t hold him from enjoying for america within the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.
LIV Golf chief government Scott O’Neil mentioned in December that Koepka and LIV “mutually agreed” to his departure.
Koepka received LIV titles in 2022 at Jeddah, 2023 in Orlando and Jeddah and 2024 at Singapore and Greenbrier.
Since leaving the PGA Tour, Koepka has not been essential of the tour and was not amongst gamers who filed a lawsuit towards the tour over its ban of defectors to LIV from its tour occasions.
“Brooks Koepka is a extremely achieved skilled and we want him and his household continued success,” the PGA Tour mentioned in an announcement when the Koepka-LIV cut up was introduced.
Talking on the Subpar podcast earlier this week, fellow LIV member Jon Rahm wasn’t positive why Koepka left the tour.
“I had an concept (this might need been coming) however extra by him than the league itself,” Rahm mentioned.
“I don’t know what occurred. I do know he was coping with some stuff off the golf course — I nonetheless don’t know what occurred.”
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Rahm added: “He would possibly must take a while, however I feel he would (return to the PGA Tour). He’ll in all probability play ultimately the minimal I’d say, why not the occasions he likes, the massive ones if he can then make himself into elevated occasions or get into elevated occasions, he’d play these as properly.”
One other LIV star, two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, will not be signed with LIV Golf past the 2026 season.
DeChambeau received the 2020 US Open and have become the second energetic LIV participant to win a significant when he captured the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.
DeChambeau has received 9 occasions of the PGA Tour and 3 times in LIV Golf, together with final 12 months’s South Korea occasion.
Rory McIlroy, who accomplished a profession Grand Slam by successful final 12 months’s Masters, spoke with regards to gamers returning to the PGA Tour from LIV within the “Follow Soccer” podcast.
“They’ve made the cash, however they’ve paid their consequence when it comes to the status and a number of the issues they’ve misplaced by going over there,” McIlroy mentioned of PGA defectors to LIV.
“If it made the general tour stronger to have Bryson DeChambeau again and whoever else, I’d be OK with it. However once more, it’s not simply me and I recognise that not everyone seems to be in my place. It might be as much as the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that call.”
Requested concerning the challenge, two-time main winner Xander Schauffele mentioned, “It’s going to be exhausting to make all people pleased, I can reply that.”