‘Weight lifted off my shoulders’: Brooks Koepka reveals finest a part of PGA Tour return (and worst)

Regardless of an misguided WD scare, Brooks Koepka is within the area at this week’s 2026 Genesis Scottish Open. And primarily based on his pre-tournament press convention on the Renaissance Membership, he couldn’t be happier about it.

This week’s occasion is the 14th begin of Koepka’s shock PGA Tour return following years enjoying on LIV Golf.

Whereas his comeback hasn’t been utterly clean, the five-time main champion is feeling higher than his outcomes to this point have proven, each on and off the golf course.

On Wednesday, an open and talkative Koepka revealed what he’s most happy about to this point in his PGA Tour return, whereas additionally naming the factor that’s upset him most.

Koepka says PGA Tour return has introduced him ‘happiness’

When information broke in January that Koepka was rejoining the PGA Tour by way of the Returning Member Program, it shocked the golf world.

Nevertheless it wasn’t a shock to Koepka and his spouse, Jena. As Koepka revealed on the Scottish Open, that they had been engaged on his comeback, and retaining their plans secret, for some time.

Koepka admitted it wasn’t “the simplest factor” to maintain such a monumental profession and life change beneath wraps. However the aid Koepka skilled when his Tour return turned a actuality, and the happiness that has adopted, are the issues he’s most happy with relating to his comeback.

“What have I been most happy with? I feel — yeah, I feel I’ve been most happy with — that is most likely going to return throughout just a little egocentric, however simply the happiness that I’ve,” Koepka revealed to reporters on Wednesday. “Possibly a weight lifted off my shoulders, or it’s not — saved it a secret for a short time. So it’s not the simplest factor.”

His play on the course — together with 4 missed cuts and just one high 10 — shouldn’t be the supply of his newfound satisfaction. As a substitute, it’s Koepka’s spouse and son — and the power to spend extra time with them on the PGA Tour in comparison with LIV — that has introduced him “happiness.”

“However I simply see the happiness. I take a look at I’m in a position to be round my son much more. Jena is ready to be round and they’re able to journey to much more occasions. Issues like that, that stuff brings me happiness,” Koepka defined. “Whether or not I play good or whether or not I play unhealthy, I stroll off the 18th inexperienced, my spouse and son are standing proper there and, it’s cool, regardless of — my son doesn’t care if I shoot 80 or 65, he doesn’t know the distinction. It’s ‘Da-Da’; he goes that manner and runs in direction of me. That’s cool. Having them round has been superb and takes just a little little bit of the stress away from whenever you’re enjoying.”

As for the factor he’s least happy with since returning to the PGA Tour, Koepka quipped “my placing,” earlier than admitting that his sport alongside together with his life are turning round after feeling like he couldn’t “catch a break” on or off the course throughout his final season with LIV Golf.

“I really feel like final 12 months I wasn’t within the head area to really play good golf, and now that every little thing is form of cleared up and I’m in a greater — all of us have that, proper? It’s life,” Koepka stated. “Typically it’s straightforward and typically it’s troublesome. There’s loads of stuff, like I stated, off the golf course, on the golf course, didn’t matter. Didn’t really feel like I might catch a break, as a participant, as an individual, as a household. Yeah.”

That happiness served him properly in Thursday’s opening spherical on the Renaissance Membership, the place Koepka fired a four-under 66 to get near the top of the leaderboard early on the Scottish Open.

Koepka mum on LIV professionals returning to PGA Tour

Whereas Koepka was long-winded when speaking about himself, he had few phrases to spare when the subject of LIV Golf got here up.

Some LIV Golf professionals are permitted to play this week’s Genesis Scottish Open resulting from the truth that it’s co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm, the latter of whom simply settled a dispute with the DP World Tour, have taken up the uncommon alternative to win a PGA Tour-sanctioned occasion as present LIV gamers.

When requested whether or not his former LIV tour mates being allowed to tee it up was an indication of professional golf’s future reunification, Koepka stated merely, “I’m not part of these conversations, so I don’t know.”

He was then pressed if he’d prefer to see a “return to normality” in professional golf, and he once more refused to provide an opinion, as an alternative saying that he was “extra targeted” on himself.

“I don’t have an opinion both manner. I’m extra targeted on myself. I feel that’s the one factor I feel I’ve realized by way of all of that is if I can simply concentrate on myself and be the very best golfer, finest father, husband, no matter, I’m doing greater than I wish to do proper now, and being current with them and play good golf,” Koepka stated. “I really feel like that’s all that issues to me. What occurs to all people else, I’m not so involved with.”