DP World Tour paves the way back for LIV players, family joy in Oban, Fox’s flawed graphic, and Fleetwood’s new outfits. The Back Nine.
Brooks Koepka has cleared his first week back on the PGA Tour with dignity. A T56 finish at Justin Rose’s winning Farmers Insurance Open was not exactly spectacular, but in this case, the journey was the goal. Koepka started with a one-over-par 73, played a 68 in round two to make the cut, and completed the weekend at Torrey Pines with rounds of 73 and 70. Mission accomplished. As early as Friday after making the weekend cut, the five-time major champion spoke of falling in love with the game again. That was what was missing for him with LIV: the competition, the tough struggle. Fighting for a three-meter putt even though he was 20 shots behind the lead. But every stroke counts, especially when a hundred or more players share the same goal.
However, elsewhere, critics remain vocal about Koepka’s comeback, which some find too easy and smooth; not only Wyndham Clark. In an interview with Golf Digest Japan before the Farmers, Hideki Matsuyama also spoke unusually openly. Considering his usually polite demeanor, one could say the 2021 Masters champion is furious.
\”I have nothing against Koepka. I even find it quite impressive that Brooks had the courage to make that decision and quit his LIV contract.\”
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama said he was shocked to hear about the LIV star’s return. He had declined a nine-figure offer from the rival circuit in 2022 due to the consequences for his PGA Tour future. \”I thought: How is it possible for him to come back just like that? What happened to the idea that players joining LIV couldn’t participate on the PGA Tour for a year? And now there is a Returning Member Program?\”
He added he was not aware of such a rule and wondered why the PGA Tour did not explain the situation beforehand. \”But we are just supposed to play and have nothing to say otherwise.\” Matsuyama finished eleventh at La Jolla Cliffs, well ahead of Koepka. Whether it appeased him is another question.
DP World Tour Removes Penalties for LIV Players?
The DP World Tour is reforming sanctions for defecting members. From the 2026 season, no penalties will be imposed if players are active on unsanctioned tours like the LIV Golf League, according to Flushing It. Pros like Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, and Tyrrell Hatton, who appealed their fines accrued until 2025, still have to pay these penalties – Rahm faces over three million dollars in fines. However, this change opens the path for more LIV players to participate in European circuit tournaments if they remain DP World Tour members. Mandatory events will still exist. For Rahm and Hatton, the stakes remain high: if they lose the appeal and refuse to pay, they would lose their DP World Tour membership and Ryder Cup eligibility.