PGA Tour broke promise on Brooks Koepka’s return, honorary Masters starter Tom Watson says

Legendary golfer Tom Watson offered a blunt instrumentality the caller programme that paved the mode for Brooks Koepka’s instrumentality to the PGA Tour.

Koepka near LIV Golf successful December 2025. At the clip of his departure, the three-time PGA Championship victor had astir 1 twelvemonth remaining connected his declaration with the Saudi-backed circuit.

Koepka applied for PGA Tour reinstatement and rapidly gained support nether the tour's caller Returning Member Program. Watson, a two-time Masters champion who participated successful Thursday morning's ceremonial tee disconnected astatine Augusta National, voiced beardown disapproval astir the process.

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Brooks Koepka of the United States reacts connected the 5th greenish during the 3rd circular of the Valspar Championship 2026 astatine Copperhead Course astatine Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club connected March 21, 2026 successful Palm Harbor, Florida. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

"The Tour ​made a determination to renege connected what they promised erstwhile the players near for LIV. They felt ‌that the compensation that he's paid is bully enough," Watson said astatine the 90th variation of the Masters.

Watson past laid retired what helium believes should hap going forward.

"I thought the LIV players, erstwhile they left, they were expected to beryllium banned for life. If I was commissioner, that's what I ​would do. I'd accidental if you're finished with your declaration with LIV Golf, if you privation to play ​the PGA Tour again, you travel back, and you indispensable play the Korn Ferry Tour for ⁠a twelvemonth to suffice for it."

BROOKS KOEPKA'S ATTORNEY GIVES INSIDE LOOK INTO GOLFER'S LIV DEPARTURE, RETURN TO PGA TOUR

Koepka addressed his instrumentality to the PGA Tour successful a station connected societal media.

"When I was a child, I ever dreamed astir competing connected the PGA Tour, and I americium conscionable arsenic excited contiguous to denote that I americium returning to the PGA Tour," Koepka said successful a connection posted to X connected Jan. 12. "Being person to location and spending much clip with my household makes this accidental particularly meaningful to me. I judge successful wherever the PGA Tour is headed with caller leadership, caller investors, and an equity programme that gives players a meaningful ownership stake."

"I besides recognize determination are fiscal penalties associated with this decision, and I judge those," his connection continued.

He agreed to 5 years successful the subordinate equity programme — a punishment worthy up to $85 million, according to the tour's CEO Brian Rolapp. The pro golfer besides committed to $5 cardinal successful foundation donations and volition person to gain his mode into the tour's signature events.

Brooks Koepka reacts aft missing a putt connected the eighth spread during the 3rd circular of the U.S. Open play tourney astatine Oakmont Country Club Saturday, June 14, 2025, successful Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Several LIV golfers — including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith — rejected the PGA Tour’s arguable offer. Hideki Matsuyama and Wyndham Clark, who reportedly passed connected financially advantageous LIV deals, said Koepka’s determination near them conflicted.

Matsuyama told Golf Digest Japan helium was "shocked" by Koepka’s return, adding that helium respected the determination but was discouraged by what helium saw arsenic a deficiency of connection from the tour.

Watson joined the PGA Tour successful 1971, winning 8 large during his storied career.

Tom Watson smiles arsenic helium walks past the Claret Jug connected the archetypal tee during the Celebration of Champions Challenge during signifier for The 150th Open Championship connected The Old Course astatine St Andrews connected July 11, 2022 successful St. Andrews, Scotland. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

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He besides suggested that LIV defections created a cardinal breach of the sport’s halfway principles.

"When the players left, they ​violated the No. 1 regularisation that we truly had retired here, which is to ​protect the sponsors," ⁠he said. "Sponsors request players. They request the names to beryllium capable to beforehand their tournaments. If the players play wherever they privation to play without a conflicting-event regularisation -- wherever you had to question the support of the PGA Tour to play successful a ⁠tournament other ​of a PGA Tour tourney -- the sponsors would beryllium wounded by that. ​I deliberation we each understood that.

"When the players near for LIV, I deliberation it was fundamentally over. They chose to spell for the money, which ​is fine. But to instrumentality to the tour, I thought, was a nonstarter. But seemingly it's not."

Watson past played competitively astatine the 2019 Senior Open Championship and continues arsenic an honorary starter to unfastened the Masters for a 5th consecutive year.

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