LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA | As the late January sun glistened off the Pacific Ocean on a cloudless, 70-degree Tuesday, Torrey Pines was practically showing off ahead of the Farmers Insurance Open that begins Thursday.
While much of the country shivers and digs after the most recent and prolonged winter storm, this spot on the cliffs and coast of Southern California is — at least for the next few days — a spectacular stage for the most anticipated moment of this still-young season.
Thursday at 9:32 a.m. PST, Brooks Koepka will begin his first PGA Tour event since 2022, playing alongside Ludvig Åberg and Max Homa on the South Course at Torrey Pines. It’s been less than three weeks since Koepka returned to the PGA Tour after his three years with LIV Golf, and if expectations for his performance are dampened, interest is not.
“I think it feels a little different. I’m definitely a little more nervous this week coming back. But it feels good. I’m super grateful to be back,” Koepka said Tuesday morning in his first media session since returning to the tour.
Koepka appears vulnerable as he approaches the Farmers Insurance Open. When Koepka isn’t being vulnerable, he’s feeling at least a little awkward as he not only reconnects with players he hasn’t seen in a while, but also leans the eyes and ears of the game to see how he handles his public return to the PGA Tour.
No one has done what Koepka does. Others may follow, but for now he is the one and only.
It’s a bit like going back to work at a place you’ve been before, leaving for a better offer, and then deciding that what you had was pretty good to begin with. In fact, it’s almost exactly that.
Familiarity with Torrey Pines and dozens of players who were there when Koepka left and being here for his return paves the way, but this is a unique moment. For all the confidence and swagger that defined his five major championship victories, Koepka appears vulnerable as he approaches the Farmers Insurance Open.
When Koepka isn’t being vulnerable, he’s feeling at least a little awkward as he not only reconnects with players he hasn’t seen in a while, but also leans the eyes and ears of the game to see how he handles his public return to the PGA Tour.
Part of that is due to his five major championship wins. The other part, perhaps the biggest part, is because Koepka took the millions from LIV Golf and then decided to pay whatever it cost to return to the PGA Tour, the first rebel to come back.
It’s easy to portray Koepka’s story as a competitive pursuit, but without going into the details, it’s clear that family life was the driving force behind the change. Having his wife Jena (who announced she had a miscarriage last fall) and their two-year-old son Crew nearby — they’re in Torrey Pines this week — will be easier than traveling the world on LIV’s extended schedule.
“A lot has happened with my family in the last five, six months. That played a big role in my return,” Koepka said.
According to reports, Koepka had one year remaining on his LIV contract and after speaking to management to explain his desire to leave, the league allowed him to go. Koepka had no certainty he would be able to return to the PGA Tour anytime soon, but new CEO Brian Rolapp accelerated the process and brought Koepka back to Torrey Pines this week.
When Koepka was released from LIV on December 23, he immediately called Tiger Woods to talk about his options.
The thought process that led to this moment began last fall, Koepka said.
“I think it was September, right around Ryder Cup week, we had to be in New York, we were there for a while. Circumstances in my family changed a little bit,” Koepka said.
“Then I think things started to change and evolve and conversations started to happen about what’s best for my family. So we went from there.”
When Koepka was released from LIV on December 23, he immediately called Tiger Woods to talk about his options.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with Tiger… that’s what I wanted to do. Once I got the opportunity to get back on the PGA Tour, it was exciting and I didn’t really know what to do. [Woods] was the first person that came to mind,” Koepka said.
“I didn’t know Brian, obviously I didn’t have a relationship with him, just because he’s quite new. And Jay [Monahan] would be the next call. I felt like Tiger was someone I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to handle things, and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me.
Koepka was open about his nervousness this week. He went through some of it on Tuesday morning, answering questions about his decision in a wide-ranging media session, emphasizing the importance of being with his family while also talking about regaining the form that made him the player to beat in the major league for years.
There’s also the matter of reacquainting players, where he knows some have reservations about the way the process played out.
“I’m not going to make any excuses for anything other than that I’m the one who owns the club, I’m the one who has to do everything and I just didn’t do a good enough job.” [in 2024-25].” –Brooks Koepka
“I’m excited to – maybe a little anxious to get to Thursday so I can get back to golf and that’s where I feel most comfortable. But I was definitely nervous just for this [media session]” said Koepka.
“When I saw guys, I was a little overwhelmed by the text messages I received from guys, guys on both sides and… it meant a lot to me. And like I said, I’m grateful, I’m excited and I just want to get back to golf.”
That’s the next question hovering over Koepka. He won five times at LIV, but his 2025 season was flat. He had just two top-10 finishes last year and missed the cut in three of the four major championships.
On a macro level, this is about the ongoing tension between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. On a more fundamental level, though, it’s about whether Koepka can rediscover the game that separated him for years.
“Last year I just didn’t play well. I don’t think maybe at the end of ’24 I didn’t play that great,” Koepka said.
“I’m not going to make any excuses for anything other than that I’m the one who owns the club, I’m the one who has to do everything and I just didn’t do a good enough job.”
Torrey Pines, in all its natural splendor, offers Koepka a fresh start he was never sure he would get.
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