Sergio Garcia gives opinion on Brooks Koepka exit after climbing leaderboard in Bahrain

Sergio Garcia says he wasn't surprised by Brooks Koepka's exit from LIV Golf and hopes the American does well. 

Koepka walked out of the LIV Golf exit door in December and has already been reinstated to the PGA Tour. 

The five-time major winner told reporters before his comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open that the decision was made so he could be closer to his family. 

Former Masters champion Patrick Reed has followed in Koepka's footsteps but will have to wait until August until he can play on the PGA Tour again. 

Garcia, 46, is not leaving LIV Golf anytime soon and signed a contract extension over the winter. 

He is playing the Bahrain Championship this week and climbed the leaderboard on day two at Royal Golf Club with a six-under 66 to reach eight-under par. 

Scotland's Calum Hill holds the 36-hole lead on 16-under. 

"It doesn't surprise me very much to be honest," Garcia told reporters when asked about Koepka's exit. 

"I mean, I was talking to my wife and some friends, and we figured out that they would do something to make sure that he didn’t have to have a year off from the tour. But that's fine.

"It's great. I hope he enjoys it. I hope he does well.

"I hope he, you know, he plays better than he played here last year. Obviously, he wasn’t very happy with the way he played and it showed.

"And, you know, hopefully he’ll be fine, and, you know, we'll keep doing our thing."

Koepka fired a one-over 73 in his first round on the PGA Tour since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.  

The 36-year-old struggled off the tee and was made to wait until the 18th hole to register his first birdie. 

He later told reporters he was struggling with nerves off the first tee. 

"Just because I care," Koepka said. "I think I've fallen back in love with the game. 

"And honestly, watching my son play a little bit and wanting to be able to see him watch me, or I guess want him to watch me play well and realize how much this game's given me, how fun it is and how cool it is to just be out here."

Koepka added that he cared what the spectators thought of his return. 

"It's easy when you're around the players and they come and talk to you or you talk to them, or caddies or people around here, but everybody else, I wasn't sure," he said.