"If anyone is upset, I need to rebuild those relationships." Brooks Koepka already knew what his first move after returning to the PGA Tour would be. And he has already begun working on it. 

The one question that circulated through the golfing community upon Koepka’s return was whether PGA Tour professionals would be hostile to LIV golfers if they ever returned. But Koepka cleared the air. 

The famed golf analyst and journalist, Dan Rappaport, took to X and shared a short clip of Koepka interacting with Billy Horschel. And instead of hostility, the duo shared a laugh and hugged. 

Weighing in on the lively interaction, Rappaport wrote, “This reminds me of that first LIV year where we all speculated “what will the LIV and PGA Tour guys do when paired together in majors?!” like they weren’t going to shake hands, smile and say “play well” on the first tee.” 

“Remember what sport this is.”

It’s not like the five-time major champion is returning without any consequences. He had to bear fines and penalties worth around $85 million. Nevertheless, Horshel stood true to his stance. 

Why Did Billy Horschel Stand With Brooks Koepka Upon His Return?

Speaking to Golf Channel not too long ago, Horschel claimed, “I think what the PGA Tour has put in place is enough of a hit for those guys coming back to understand the damage that they may have done when they left and how some of these players felt.”

Since many professionals left to join LIV Golf, the PGA Tour professionals had to evolve and make the tour a better one. But regarding Koepka’s return, he had a strong stance. 

He said, “I think some guys are probably still going to feel like there should be more and they shouldn’t be allowed to play right away. But selfishly, which is unusual for me, to think about the PGA Tour, I have equity in the PGA Tour and I want that equity to grow, and giving these guys the option to come back to the PGA Tour is a no-brainer.”

“It creates value for the PGA Tour. It creates a better competitive product and that’s what we’re trying to do on the PGA Tour.”

The brief interaction between Horschel and Koepka made it clear that the sport doesn’t bring animosity into the course. But what are your thoughts? 

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu