Brooks Koepka’s Farmers Insurance Open return has added 2-player advantage

Brooks Koepka will make his return to the PGA Tour next week Farmer’s insurance opened.

The five-time major champion retired from LIV Golf on December 23 and officially returned to the PGA Tour on January 12 through a new, temporary program called the “Returning Member Program”. The PGA Tour already featured Koepka in its latest commercial and his tee time at Torrey Pines next week will benefit two players not yet in the field.

New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp had to walk a tightrope to bring Koepka back. Rolapp’s job was to find a way to bring Koepka back — and thereby increase the value of the PGA Tour — but to do so in a way that didn’t disrupt regular membership. As part of the Returning Member Program guidelines, Koepka will not take the place of another player in a field to which he has committed. Instead, Koepka, who is in the field, will add one or two spots to the field to make doubles or trios work.

So on Monday, the PGA Tour will add the first two alternates to Farmers Insurance Field, making it an even number of 147 for trios.

As of this writing, the top two alternates are Matt Kuchar and Justin Lower. Taylor Moore and Joel Dahmen are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Should a player in the field withdraw before Monday’s deadline at noon PT, Kuchar and Lower would be the first players to move into the open spots, with Moore and Dahmen moving up on the alternate list.

To appease members, especially those outside the top 50 of the official world rankings, Koepka is also ineligible for a sponsor invitation to the heavily funded Signature Events. He can work his way into it via the Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5 or by jumping into the top 30 of the OWGR. Koepka will also play at the WM Phoenix Open the following week, giving him two weeks to work his way to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.

Ultimately, Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour and the way Rolapp structured the path back was a victory for the PGA Tour, its stars and the grassroots membership.

“We’re probably getting back a top-three player of his generation who has gone to another tour,” Tiger Woods said of Koepka’s return. “[He] played there, and was adamant about coming back here and got out early to come back.

“That says a lot about the PGA Tour, where we’re going, what we’ve done, what we’ve accomplished and the players who have stayed and who have supported the Tour. To have another world-class player that these guys are going to try to beat, that’s what the fans demanded. That’s what the fans wanted for our fan initiative program, and I think we’ve addressed that.”

Rickie Fowler added: “I think it’s great. I feel like Brooks is in a position, he’s wanted to play with us again for a while, so I’m really happy that we’re back in the position we are at.”

The “Returning Members Program” opened the door for Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith to return to the PGA Tour on Feb. 2, but all three have said they plan to remain at LIV Golf.

While these three will prepare for the Saudi-backed competition’s season, which starts in Riyadh on February 4, Koepka will take on the PGA Tour for the first time in three years next week at Torrey Pines.

And his return will provide an additional advantage for two Southern California players next week.