SAN DIEGO – If Brooks Koepka ever needed a modicum of levity before teeing off in a tournament, it arrived early Thursday with perfect timing.
“Pants are required here,” joked the first tee starter, a good-natured jab at the former LIV player’s return to the PGA Tour this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Koepka has never been considered much of a jokester, particularly when he steps between the ropes to compete, but given the 35-year-old’s eventful return to the Tour this week the one-liner was a welcome distraction.
The five-time major champion had said earlier in the week he didn’t know what to expect from the SoCal crowds in his first event since leaving the Saudi-backed circuit, and following an opening 73 on the demanding South Course, he acknowledged there was plenty of anxiety.
“I don’t like thinking ahead at all or trying to anticipate what was going to happen, but I wasn’t sure, which is kind of weird being uneasy, or you don’t really know,” Koepka said. “From the first tee on, it was great. It actually made me settle down a little bit. Like I said, it made me feel good just to be out here. It was a good group with Max [Homa] and Ludvig [Åberg], I enjoyed that. The whole day was great.”
Koepka’s golf on Day 1 was average with two bogeys offset by a single birdie at his closing hole for a 1-over total that left him tied for 95th when he completed his round.
To be fair, the South Course was playing nearly a half-stroke over par for the day and Koepka’s playing partners, Homa (75) and Åberg (78), didn’t fare any better.
“I felt like it was pretty good. I struck it really well. I didn’t hit enough fairways. If I was able to get to the back of the ball, I felt like I hit a good quality shot. Didn’t really make any putts besides 18 right there. Yeah, it felt good,” Koepka said. “It’s been a while since I played competitive golf, so I like the way I’m playing, I just need to kind of play my way into it.”
‘Game feels there’: Brooks on first round back on Tour
Brooks Koepka sat down with Todd Lewis after his opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open 2026. Koepka discussed how important it was to hear cheers from the crowd welcoming him back to the PGA Tour.
But it was how he managed his emotions that was a far more meaningful way to measure Koepka’s return. As the first player to return from LIV there was a unique level of uncertainty, and he spent the last few days mulling how he’d be greeted by fans.
“I just care. I care about what everybody’s thinking out here, what everybody’s doing, and just trying to be as good of a person and good of a player as I can be,” he explained when asked why he was nervous. “Just wanted a warm reception. Just like everybody else, you walk into a room nobody wants to feel exiled, they just want to be loved. I mean, that’s human nature I think.”
Although it was a perfectly understandable human reaction to what has obviously been an emotional few weeks, that kind of soul searching coming from a player whose brand was bravado and limitless self-confidence speaks to how the last 3 ½ years away from the Tour has softened Koepka’s famously sharp edges.
Vulnerability always comes with trailblazing, and Koepka has embraced the unknowns of his return. The next few months will likely be filled with plenty of firsts, but his own messaging will provide an important constant — appreciation for the opportunity.
“I’m the only one in the entire world that’s going through this situation so it’s very difficult to explain. But I’m enjoying it, I really am,” he said.
The scrutiny surrounding Koepka’s return promises to be intense — from fellow Tour members who may still be skeptical of the expediated program the circuit created that allowed his return to the fans who largely cheered his first start in a non-major Tour event since 2022. He will also serve as a potential litmus test for other LIV players who may be considering a potential return.
One particularly interested bystander this week is Patrick Reed, who announced Wednesday he was leaving LIV and planned to return to the Tour in August when the circuit’s regulations allow him to compete.
“It’s wild,” Koepka said when asked his reaction to Reed’s announcement. “Whatever Patrick wants to do and to be the best golfer he can be, best for his family, I’m in full support of that. I think everybody’s different, got to make decisions for what’s best for their family. If he’s doing that, then I’m 100 percent behind him, whatever he needs to do.”
Not that Koepka has much interest in being professional golf’s standard-bearer. In fact, the plan when he resumes his comeback Friday at Torrey Pines’ North Course likely includes hitting a few more fairways, rolling in a couple more putts, and if the starter on the first tee has a joke to offer, that will certainly help.
