Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour has a strange side effect. The five-time major champion says fellow pros are thanking him every single week.

During the interaction with the press at Ponte Vedra Beach, a media person asked Koepka if Lanto Griffin or Carson Young ever publicly thanked him for playing in a tournament since his presence got them into the field.

And the 35-year-old confirmed, “There's been a few guys... I think every week somebody's thanked me, which has been kind of weird,” Koepka admitted. “Just never been thanked for playing an event before.” 

With Koepka on the field for THE PLAYERS Championship, the officials expanded the field from 121 players to 123 players to round out threesomes. Patton Kizzire and Seamus Power were the two names added to the field because of Koepka.

Golfers being thankful to Koepka isn't a surprise. His return from LIV hinted that the Tour is ready to ensure that it stays strong and is able to feature the best players. With a five-time major champion returning, perhaps we'll see more players take advantage of the Returning Member Program.

Brooks Koepka Needs Time To Know Everyone on the PGA Tour

Koepka was away from the PGA Tour for about four years. And during that time, a lot has changed from the members to the courses.

When the media asked if he knew the people who thanked him, he said, “There was definitely some I didn't know.”

“I don't know if this is a guess, but 30 percent of this TOUR I don't know right now. I'm knowing more guys just being out here, but it's going to take me a few more weeks.”

Additionally, he seemed “pretty open” to anyone from the LIV Golf who wants to return to the PGA Tour. He still texts people, regardless of the tour they’re playing for. He repeatedly confirmed that “anybody can reach out.” 

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Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar