DP World Tour opens doors to LIV players, family joy in Oban, spotting errors in Fox’s LIV graphic, and Fleetwood’s new attire. The Back Nine.
Brooks Koepka has completed his first week back on the PGA Tour with dignity. Finishing T56 at Justin Rose’s win at the Farmers Insurance Open wasn’t a masterpiece, but the journey was the goal. Koepka started with a one-over-par 73, shot 68 in round two to make the cut, followed by weekend rounds of 73 and 70 at Torrey Pines. Mission accomplished. By Friday, he already spoke of falling in love with the game again—a feeling he missed during his LIV Golf tenure: the competition, the gritty fight, battling for every putt even when far behind. Every stroke counts, especially when many players share the same goal.
However, Koepka’s comeback is stirring controversy off the course too, seen by some as too easy or smooth—Wyndham Clark being one critic. In an interview with Golf Digest Japan before the Farmers, Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, expressed rare frustration. Shocked at Koepka’s return, he questioned the PGA Tour’s policies about LIV players, particularly the so-called Returning Member Program. Matsuyama had declined a nine-figure offer from the rival circuit in 2022 partly due to concerns over his PGA Tour future.
\”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
The Japanese player also wondered why the PGA Tour didn’t clarify the situation beforehand, lamenting that players are expected just to play and say nothing. Matsuyama finished eleventh at La Jolla, well ahead of Koepka. Whether that eased his frustration remains unknown.
DP World Tour Removes Penalties for LIV Players?
A significant change: The DP World Tour is reforming its sanctions against players participating in non-sanctioned tours like LIV Golf. Starting in 2026, no penalties will be applied to players active on such leagues, reports Flushing It. Professionals like Patrick Reed, and Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton—who have appealed fines accumulated until 2025—will still owe those fines; Rahm’s amount exceeds three million dollars. But the policy shift allows more LIV players to compete on the European circuit if they hold DP World Tour membership. Mandatory events remain, and the stakes for Rahm and Hatton remain high: losing their appeal and refusing to pay fines could cost them their DP World Tour membership and Ryder Cup eligibility.
Family Joy for \”Bob Mac\”
In Oban on Scotland’s west coast, Robert MacIntyre—nicknamed \”Bob Mac\”—and currently world number five, celebrated becoming a father. His partner Shannon Hartley gave birth to a