Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour is making waves before he even hits a shot.

For the first time in about 20 years, a non-major PGA Tour event will air live on ESPN.

The channel will simulcast PGA Tour Live’s main feed from 12:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST on both January 29 and January 30, 2026. Following that, the usual Golf Channel coverage will resume. 

And in the meantime, ESPN2 will air ESPN’s usual programming, including the Pat McAfee Show. Additionally, ESPN’s broadcast will also be covered on Hulu and Disney+. 

It seems like a calculated, low-risk experiment by ESPN. By simulcasting PGA Tour Live rather than producing a standalone broadcast, the network gains real-time audience data without really altering its long-term rights structure. 

Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka will tee it up on the PGA Tour for the first time after coming back to the tour via the Returning Member Program.

Koepka's last tee for the Tour was in March 2022. All PGA Tour members were suspended immediately if they played on the Saudi-backed circuit, and Brooks was one of them.

With his return, he’ll compete alongside the former Farmers Insurance Open champions Ludvig Aberg and Max Homa. 

But for Koepka, there’s a lot of pending work at the PGA Tour. 

Brooks Koepka Knows His PGA Tour Return Won’t Be Smooth

During a telephonic interview, soon after his return was announced, Koepka said, "I've got a lot of work to do with some of the players.”

While many fans and professionals were happy and excited to see Koepka back with the PGA Tour, many others had a different opinion. A few even urged the tour to suspend the five-time major champion, just like Pat Perez. But it’s not like Koepka doesn’t have any penalties on his head. 

He continued, "It's a harsh punishment financially. I understand exactly why the tour did that -- it's meant to hurt. But it [his departure] hurt a lot of people.”

"If anyone is upset, I need to rebuild those relationships."

ESPN’s scheduling gamble amplifies Koepka’s return, blending media intrigue with competitive relevance. His challenge now extends beyond scores.

Can he win back the supporters he lost through his performance in the near future? What do you think?

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu