DP World Tour opens path back for LIV players, family joy in Oban, find the errors in Fox’s LIV graphic, and Fleetwood’s new attire. The Back Nine.
Survived: Brooks Koepka has completed his first week back on the PGA Tour with dignity. A T56 finish at Justin Rose’s victory in the Farmers Insurance Open was not a triumph, but in this case, the journey was the goal. Koepka started with a one-over-par 73, made the cut with a 68 in round two, and finished the weekend at Torrey Pines with rounds of 73 and 70. Mission accomplished. Already on Friday after making the cut, the five-time major winner spoke about falling in love with the game again. That’s what he missed during LIV: the competition, the tough grind, fighting for a three-meter putt even when 20 strokes behind the lead. Every shot counts, especially when a hundred or more players share the same goal.
Elsewhere, criticism of Koepka’s comeback continues, deemed by some too easy, too smooth. Not just Wyndham Clark. In an interview with Golf Digest Japan before the Farmers, Hideki Matsuyama spoke unusually openly. Given his normally polite demeanor, one could say the 2021 Masters champion is furious.