Brooks Koepka’sreturn to the PGA Tour has been making headlines for weeks, and behind his comeback stood one man: Tiger Woods. The 35-year-old revealed he was the first person on his call list before officially making the return. Now, days after Koepka’s debut at Torrey Pines, the 15x major champion has finally broken his silence at the SoFi Center, where he was supporting his team in TGL S2.
At Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a reporter asked: “Tiger, I want to know if you would touch on it real quick. Brooks mentioned you were the first call that he made when trying to reinstate on the PGA TOUR. Any talks of him as a Jupiter native potentially becoming a part of this team down the road?”
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Woods kept the response simple: “I don’t know that part yet. Brooks just got his feet wet being back on our Tour again at Torrey, and he’s playing Waste Management this week. If Brooks is going to be on a team or not on a team, we have a great team here. My boys here, we’ve had so much fun going back and forth, and these group texts are just awesome.”
For Koepka, the comeback had everything on the line. He faced a hefty penalty under the Returning Member Program: a $5 million charitable donation, forfeited Tour equity bonuses until 2030, and no FedEx Cup bonus payout this season. The PGA Tour estimates these penalties total between $50–85 million in missed earnings.
BOLINGBROOK, IL – AUGUST 10: Brooks Koepka watches other players on the green during the final round of LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, IL Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 10 LIV Golf Chicago EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon224250810091
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However, not everyone welcomed his return.
Tiger Woods made the deal happen, but plenty of pros voiced frustration. Michael Kim wrote on X that players were angry. During Koepka’s LIV stint, loyal PGA Tour pros watched him chase guaranteed millions. Now he’s back without grinding through Korn Ferry qualifiers.
Analyst Brandel Chamblee had pushed for harsh punishment, even suggesting a return via Q-School. He argued Koepka was a “marquee legitimizer” whose credibility kept LIV afloat while loyal players paid the price. Tiger Woods and the player-directors carved out a path, but some pros see it as favoritism dressed up as meritocracy.
Through it all, Tiger Woods remained deeply involved. As chairman of the Future Competition Committee and a member of the PGA Tour policy board, the 50-year-old worked tirelessly.
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“We worked through Christmas with both boards to make sure this is right,” he explained. There were no days off.
“He’s not taking a spot away from any player,” Woods emphasized. “That was one of the main concerns.”
Woods called Koepka’s return “a win for everyone,” noting it brings back a top-tier player fans demanded.
At the Farmers Insurance Open, Koepka made his return official. He finished tied for 56th at 4-under par. Even the Torrey Pines crowd welcomed him with standing ovations.
“The fans were awesome today,” Koepka said after his opening round. “I think it was very cool to hear, ‘Welcome back.’ It was pretty much every hole.”
152nd Open Championship Brooks Koepka USA at the 18th during Round 2 of the 152nd Open Championship, Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. 18/07/2024. Picture: Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Troon Royal Troon Golf Club South Ayrshire Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx *EDI*
But the real story unfolded in his post-round reflections.
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What Brooks Koepka said after Torrey Pines
Making the cut was his main goal, and Koepka achieved it. He finished at 4-under, fourteen strokes behind the winner Justin Rose. The warm reception arrived quickly as fans lining the fairways offered encouragement. Koepka responded with fist bumps, autographs, and visible appreciation throughout the week.
“From the first tee on, it was great,” he said. “It actually made me settle down a little bit. It made me feel good just to be out here.” Brooks Koepka admitted he was nervous ahead of his first event back, driven less by concerns about golf and more by how he would be received.
“I just cared about my perception, what people thought or what the fans thought,” Koepka said. “I care about what everybody’s thinking out here. … Just wanted a warm reception.” That reception settled him down from the opening tee shot onward.
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Time away from full-time competition shifted his outlook entirely. “I think I’ve fallen back in love with the game,” he said. “Fourteen weeks is a lot of time to think, a lot of time to reflect. … I’m just excited.”
His first tournament is complete. Brooks Koepka now heads to the WM Phoenix Open, ready to continue his journey with Tiger Woods’ support.