Brooks Koepka, who was banned from the PGA Tour due to his allegiance with LIV Golf, has disclosed a list of PGA Tour events he’d like to return to. It comes after making his stance on the Saudi-backed circuit perfectly clear.
In 2022, Koepka followed Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson’s lead by leaving the PGA Tour for the LIV setup, where he has since found considerable success. Since making the switch, Koepka has claimed six victories, five of which were on the LIV setup.
He also secured his fifth major championship and became the first LIV player to win a flagship tournament since the league’s inception when he won the PGA Championship in 2023. As discussions hit a road block just days before the Masters, Koepka confessed that there are some events on his former circuit and the DP World Tour that he still wants to compete in.
“I still have a good relationship with everybody there,” he told The Times. “There’s a lot of ‘what-ifs’, but I’d be open to playing certain [PGA Tour] events,” he told The Times. “Like, I love Phoenix [Open, in Arizona]. The Cognizant Classic, because it’s my hometown. I’d love to play Dunhill [on the DP World Tour].”
Koepka did concede, however, that he understands this may not be feasible moving forward after his decision to defect. “If we can’t, that’s OK. I’ve made my decision,” he added.
Despite discussions between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) about reunification ongoing since a framework agreement in June 2023, this week has seen significant skepticism regarding the deal’s completion. According to The Guardian, the PGA Tour rejected the latest offer from PIF, the financial backers of LIV Golf.
(Image: Lauren Sopourn/Getty Images)
The Saudi fund is said to have proposed a $1.5 billion investment into PGA Tour Enterprises, but in exchange, they wanted PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to be appointed as co-chairman of the profit-driven entity and for LIV to be allowed to continue operations. The proposal was turned down by Jay Monahan and his team.
There’s been a lot of speculation about Koepka’s future with LIV Golf lately. The Smash GC captain did not commit to the league long-term when asked about his current LIV contract during a tournament in Singapore last month.
“I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfill, and then we’ll see what happens,” he stated to journalists. “I don’t know where I’m going, so I don’t know how everybody else does.
“I think we all hoped it would have been a little bit further along, and that’s no secret,”. “No matter where you’re at, you always hope everything is further along. But they’re making progress, and it seems to be going in the right direction.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
