DP World Tour paves the way back for LIV players, family joy in Oban, spot the errors in Fox’s graphic, and Fleetwood’s new outfits. The Back Nine.
Brooks Koepka has endured his first week back on the PGA Tour with dignity. Finishing T56 at Justin Rose’s victory at the Farmer Insurance Open wasn’t a spectacular feat, but in this case, the journey was the goal. Koepka opened with a 73 (+1), made the cut with a 68 in the second round, and completed the weekend at Torrey Pines with rounds of 73 and 70. Mission accomplished. Already on Friday, after making the weekend cut, the five-time major winner spoke about falling in love with the game again. That was what he missed during his time with LIV Golf: the competition, the struggle. Fighting for every putt, even when 20 shots behind the lead. Every stroke counts when hundreds of players share the same goal.
However, elsewhere, Koepka’s comeback is stirring controversy, seen by some as too easy or smooth. Not only Wyndham Clark but also Hideki Matsuyama expressed unusually strong opinions before the Farmers Tournament in an interview with Golf Digest Japan. Known for his polite reserve, the 2021 Masters champion seemed genuinely furious.
\”I have nothing against Koepka. I actually find it quite impressive that Brooks had the courage to make this decision and terminate his LIV contract.\”
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama revealed he was shocked to hear about the LIV star’s return, especially since he had rejected a nine-digit offer from the rival circuit in 2022 partly due to the consequences for his future on the PGA Tour. \”I thought: How is it possible for him to just come back like that? What happened to the idea that players who joined LIV can’t play on the PGA Tour for one year? And now they have a Returning Member Program?\”
He added he was not aware of such a rule and questioned why the PGA Tour did not explain this situation to players in advance. \”But we are only supposed to play and have no say otherwise.\” Matsuyama finished 11th at La Jolla, well ahead of Koepka. Whether this soothed him remains to be seen.
DP World Tour Removes Penalties for LIV Players?
In a turnaround, the DP World Tour has reformed sanctions against defectors. From the 2026 season onward, no penalties will be imposed if players compete in unsanctioned tours like the LIV Golf League. According to the outlet Flushing It, while players such as returning Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, and Tyrrell Hatton must still pay fines accrued until 2025—Rahm’s amount is over $3 million—this change opens the door for more LIV players to participate in European circuit tournaments if they remain DP World Tour members. Mandatory tournaments will remain. For Rahm and Hatton, the stakes are high: losing their appeals and refusing to pay fines would result in losing their DP World Tour membership and eligibility for the Ryder Cup.
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