One of the most powerful people in golf made a wish.
Yes, Fred Ridley was happy to see Brooks Koepka return to the PGA Tour after leaving it for LIV Golf.
But the chairman of the Masters and Augusta National also asked if there would be opportunities for more players to come together.
“I think the game of golf is always better when the best players in the world play at the same time and in the same place,” Ridley said. “I think it’s better for the fans. It’s better for the history of the game, the legacy that these players are establishing.”
“I’m glad one player, Brooks Koepka, is back on the PGA Tour, and I hope there will be opportunities for more players to all play in the same place.”
Ridley appeared alongside USGA CEO Mike Whan and R&A Chairman Martin Hattrell at a press conference for the Latin America Amateur Championship on Thursday. Each speaker group awards the LAAC winner an exemption for the major championship they organize: the Masters, US Open and Open Championship. Each speaker’s majors are also among the few events where PGA Tour and LIV Golf professionals come together.
And every speaker was also excited to see that Koepka would soon be playing on the PGA Tour again.
Said Hattrell: “We are happy to see another great player who will be featured in more great golf tournaments in the future.”
Whan said: “Also, we’ve seen Brooks at the US Open in recent years. Regardless of which tour he came from, he qualified. We already had this decision in 2022. If you remember, the US Open was the week after the first LIV event and there was a question about what we would or would like to do and we decided pretty quickly if you qualified for the US Open, we’ll see you at the US Open.”
“I think this has been a good move for the game and a good move from a player’s perspective. And like Martin, if this means fans get to see the best in the world on a more regular basis, how can that be a bad thing.”
Koepka’s road to return to the PGA Tour took just over two weeks.
After LIV Golf said the five-time major winner would leave the competition on Dec. 23, the PGA Tour announced Monday that Koepka would return next month under the newly created “Returning Member Program.” Under that policy, Koepka and three current LIV players — Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith — will be readmitted to the PGA Tour because of their major championship victories over the past four years, but will have to agree to a series of conditions, including making a $5 million charitable donation and not receiving access to the Tour’s stock program for five years or a bonus program until 2026.
In making that announcement, the Tour said Koepka had agreed to those terms, while the others have a February 2 deadline to decide. And that may be the only chance to return, said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, as the Tour suspends players playing in LIV events.
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