Rickie Fowler confirms Brooks Koepka rumours were true before PGA Tour return

Rickie Fowler claims Brooks Koepka had wanted to leave LIV Golf and get back on the PGA Tour "for quite a while". 

Koepka, 35, made a shock return to the PGA Tour this Monday just several weeks after quitting LIV Golf. 

The five-time major champion had one year left on his $100m multi-year deal at LIV Golf, but he decided he wanted to spend more time with his family and so therefore made the decision to leave. 

Fast forward three weeks, and Koepka is now a PGA Tour member again. 

The former World No.1 has been let back onto the PGA Tour via a new Returning Membership policy and he will officially make his comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in two weeks' time. 

The departing Smash GC captain will also be in the field for the following week's WM Phoenix Open, a tournament he has won twice before at TPC Scottsdale in 2015 and 2021. 

• Rickie Fowler makes big equipment change ahead of 2026

Koepka won't have everything his own way since he will pay some consequences for departing the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in the summer of 2022.

He will lose out on player equity over the next five years, which could reach around the $50-75m mark, and he will also miss out on FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. 

On top of that, he has been asked and already agreed to make a $5m charitable donation for returning to the PGA Tour. 

But back to the top of the story, and Koepka has apparently wanted a return to the PGA Tour for quite some time. 

There had been rumours in the industry, especially over the past 12 months, that Koepka had not been as happy on LIV Golf compared to the PGA Tour — and Fowler was quick to confirm them. 

"I think it's great," Fowler said of Koepka's return to the PGA Tour, moments after helping New York defeat Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links at TGL on Tuesday.

"I feel Brooks has been in a position, he's wanted to be back playing with us for quite a while, so I'm very happy that we're back in the position where we're at now.

"I think the guys that were involved on the board level and the players involved did a great job of figuring out how we make this happen and making it feel like obviously we want him back, and not to feel like it was a closed door.

"I know he's excited. I saw him actually when I was on the PAC call receiving the news that everything was going through and what was going to happen, so yeah I think there's a lot of people excited about it." 

Watch Fowler's comments in full here: 

Woods praised the PGA Tour's work in getting Koepka back, citing it was an "incredible" moment for the fans who want to see the best against the best.

Not everyone is happy about the news though. 

According to one source on the ground ahead of this week's Sony Open, PGA Tour exec and former Tour pro Jason Gore has apparently been "getting an earful" from multiple players.

What do you make of Koepka's return to the PGA Tour? 

Do you think we'll see the best version of Koepka on Tour in 2026?

Share your thoughts and comments below, or head over to GolfMagic's social media channels to join the debate.