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The post PGA Tour schedule is changing for 2027. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on Golf.

The PGA Tour, in the midst of its 2026 schedule, now has an idea of some of its 2027 slate — and the early part of the year will have a different look.

Several tournament sites have recently posted dates for next year, though the Tour has not yet released an official statement. Josh Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal reported Tuesday that players were sent a memo outlining schedule changes.  

To break down the schedule, let’s use a question-and-answer format. 

The PGA Tour season won’t start in Hawaii, right? 

Right. The Tour announced last month that it would no longer play its two Hawaii events, the Sentry tournament and the Sony Open, both of which had started the year. 

When will the season start?

Based on tournament announcements, the season will start Thursday, Jan. 21 at the American Express event in La Quinta, Calif. This year’s event was won by Scottie Scheffler. 

Then what tournaments will be played?

After the American Express, an as-of-now unnamed tournament will be played the following week at Torrey Pines, according to a story written by Golfweek’s Adam Schupak. Farmers Insurance ended its sponsorship of the event after this year’s tournament. 

Here is what follows, based on tournament announcements:

– Feb. 4-7: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

– Feb. 11-14: WM Phoenix Open

– Feb. 18-21: Genesis Invitational

– Feb. 25-28: Cognizant Classic

– March 4-7: Cadillac Championship

– March 11-14: Players Championship

– March 18-21: Arnold Palmer Invitational

– March 25-28: Texas Children’s Houston Open

– April 1-4: Valero Texas Open

– April 8-11: Masters

– April 15-18: RBC Heritage

– April 22-25: Zurich Classic 

– April 29-May 2: CJ Cup Byron Nelson 

– May 6-9: Valspar Championship 

– May 13-16: Truist Championship and One Flight Myrtle Beach Classic 

– May 20-23: PGA Championship 

What’s changing? 

In order, here are the changes from this year, besides the Hawaiian events:

– The Pebble Beach and WM Phoenix Open events will swap dates, presumably for the Pebble Beach tournament to avoid the Super Bowl. (On a mostly unrelated note, next year’s Super Bowl will be followed by a federal holiday.)  

– The Cadillac Championship moves from May to early March, taking the date of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Cadillac will now precede the Players. Why the move? It likely has to do with the fact that this year’s Cadillac went head-to-head with a nearby F1 race. Plus March in Miami tends to make for better golf weather. 

– The Arnold Palmer moves to mid-March, taking the date of the Valspar Championship. The API will now follow the Players — and it will go up against the start of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. 

– The CJ Cup Byron Nelson will be played three weeks earlier, taking the date of the Cadillac Championship.  

– The Valspar Championship will move from March to May, taking the date of the Truist Championship.

– The Truist Championship and the PGA Championship will each be played one week later.

– This year, starting with the Masters and ending with the PGA, six tournaments were played, including two majors and three signature events. Next year, starting with the Masters and ending with the PGA, seven events will be played — and one less signature. 

– The Puerto Rico Open, which this year was played opposite the Arnold Palmer, has yet to announce its date. 

What about beyond the PGA?

At this point, little is official, but here is what we know: 

– The Charles Schwab Challenge, which is being played this week, will likely follow the PGA. Interestingly, had the Tour followed this year’s schedule, the Tour would’ve played three straight weeks in Texas, as the PGA is in the Lone Star State, at PGA Frisco.

– The U.S. Open, which will also be played at Pebble Beach, is set for June 17-20. Given that and the Charles Schwab assumption, the Memorial will likely be played June 3-6, so it doesn’t precede the Open. 

– The Open Championship will be played July 15-18 at St. Andrews. 

– A number of events have also made recent announcements. The Canadian Open said it would play its 2027 event at TPC Toronto; Travelers Companies, John Deere and 3M extended sponsorships of their tournaments through 2030; the Genesis Scottish Open said it would play its tournament at the Renaissance Club through 2030; and ISCO and Grupo Puntacana will be the title sponsors of their events through 2027. 

– The 2027 BMW Championship will be played at Liberty National in New Jersey. 

What about 2028?

Potentially several changes. 

Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal reported a week ago that Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, in early May, showed players a “two-tier” schedule. The first tier would feature 16 Tour events, three playoff events and four majors, while the second tier would have 20 tournaments.

When asked last week about the tier system, Brooks Koepka said it was news to him, though.

“I don’t know anything about that,” he said. “I don’t have the information on that. I don’t know anything, unless something came out in the last week or so. I haven’t really paid much attention to it. Yeah, I’m probably not educated enough to answer that one.” 

When will there be more information?

Likely next month at the Travelers. At the Players Championship in March, Rolapp said he would hold a press conference at the tournament at TPC River Highlands. 

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Bryson DeChambeau is back in action for the first time since his ugly missed cut at the 2026 PGA Championship. Ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Korea event, and amid continued speculation on LIV Golf’s future, the two-time major winner offered wide-ranging comments on where his game and LIV’s push for new investors stand.

In addition to revealing the simplest and “best” way he can contribute to LIV Golf’s survival, DeChambeau opened up on the “tough” criticism he’s received recently, and how that criticism has impacted him personally as well as his future plans.

DeChambeau reveals how he can help LIV survive: ‘Giving all I can’

DeChambeau has spoken often since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund chose to pull future funding from LIV Golf.

At times, DeChambeau has flirted with the idea of a PGA Tour return. Often in the same response, he’s lofted the idea of giving up pro golf and becoming a full-time YouTube creator.

But on Monday at the 2026 LIV Golf Korea event in Busan, South Korea, DeChambeau sounded like he was fully on board with helping LIV Golf secure its future existence.

News

'If the players want me back': Bryson DeChambeau lays out 2 demands for PGA Tour return

By: Kevin Cunningham

He revealed he was “surprised” by the PIF’s decision to abandon LIV Golf so suddenly, but he also expressed “optimism” in LIV’s business model.

“We were surprised that [the PIF] pulled out as quickly as they did. We didn’t really see that coming,” DeChambeau said on Monday. “But that’s okay. One door closes, another opens. I think that’s the way a lot of us are looking at it. I think we all have optimism that there is a business plan that makes sense for team golf. I’d quite honestly actually — how do I say it? I’m very optimistic with the business plan of team golf compared to other models, in my opinion.”

“But again, other models have worked as well, so I’m not going to say that one is better than the other, but I do see value in what team golf can provide not only worldwide but also in grass rooting the game of golf,” he continued. “National support, team national support, city local support, we grass root ourselves there. There’s a couple ideas that we have — quite a few ideas that we have that could be interesting.”

While DeChambeau was speaking to LIV Golf’s team format, and how that could be attractive to fans and successful financially, LIV Golf’s current business plan is simple: find big-money investors fast or go out of business. Bryson spoke to that as well.

“We’ll see if investors like it or not,” he said. “I’m giving all I can to make it happen, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t happen.”

When asked specifically how Bryson can help LIV Golf in its mission to find new funding, DeChambeau said “ultimately it’s up to the executives,” while his most important roles are to play his best this week, sign autographs and “have a good time.”

“I go out there on the first tee on Thursday and hit a beautiful drive down the middle of the fairway, hopefully. That’s what we’re focused on. In the background, yeah, we’re trying to help where we can, but ultimately it’s up to executives and everybody banding together. If we all band together, there’s an opportunity here. If not, it’s going to be a different day for all of us,” DeChambeau said. “But for me, how I support, go out and hit a great drive on the first tee, play a great round of golf, sign autographs after and have a good time.”

Bryson DeChambeau thanks ‘tough’ critics for fueling ‘positive fire’

DeChambeau was a divisive figure in pro golf long before LIV Golf arrived. When he gave the upstart league its biggest boost by joining up in 2022, criticism increased.

LIV Golf’s recent funding issues and his own sometimes bizarre and contradictory comments about his own future plans have resulted in more criticism for DeChambeau. Missed cuts at the first two majors of the year haven’t helped Bryson’s case.

When asked how he deals with such an onslaught of negativity in his LIV Golf Korea press conference, DeChambeau spoke at length, declaring his “respect” for everyone’s opinion, even if those opinions conclude that he’s “the worst thing for golf.”

“I respect everybody’s opinion on me. I respect everybody that says that I’m the worst thing for golf or I’m the best thing for golf. It’s okay,” DeChambeau said.

News

'Don't think footage is real': Bryson DeChambeau gets conspiratorial in bizarre interview

By: Kevin Cunningham

He went on to explain that criticism doesn’t “distract” him from his greater “mission” to help the game, and that he cares about golf so much because he’s seen “what it can do for people’s lives.”

“The reality is I’m so focused on what I can do for the game that somebody saying something online or to me personally in my face is not going to distract me from the mission that I have,” DeChambeau explained. “I hope can understand that, that my goal is bigger than just winning every tournament every single week. Do I want to win every week? 100 percent. Do I care about the game sometimes more than my own life? Yeah. Because I see what it can do for people’s lives. That’s ultimately why I care so much and I’m so passionate and I want the best for everybody.”

DeChambeau also thanked his critics, because while he admitted the criticism is “tough to see,” it also provides him with “inspiration” and helps him make decisions in his life.

“So when people are saying these things about me, I know my mission. I know what I’m here to do. Sometimes it’s tough to see, but sometimes it’s an inspiration for me. Fuels positive fire in my stomach. I have to honestly thank everybody because it’s what helps me make the next decision in my life, in a positive way. It’s never a negative,” he said. “I never try to do things in spite or out of non-caring about things or people or anybody else. The other side, this side, doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, we’re just playing golf. We’re just hitting a ball into a hole 450 yards away, sometimes longer.”

He continued: “I think people love to say something, and you have to respect that. I think everybody’s opinion is valid. All I can do is continue to be the best every single day that I can, whether I win tournaments out here, I win majors or don’t win majors or finish dead last out here. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m working as hard as I can and giving as much as I can, that’s all that really matters.

“I hope that I can look over and see a kid looking up smiling at me so I can go sign an autograph because that is what makes me come back every day.”

The 2026 LIV Golf Korea event kicks off this Thursday. DeChambeau gets his next opportunity to break his major missed-cut streak in a few weeks’ time at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he’ll be hunting for his third title.

“I’m really excited for the future over at Shinnecock and overseas, as well, for the Open Championship,” DeChambeau said to close out his press conference. “Head down, keep moving forward.”

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The post In Scottie Scheffler’s weird season of near misses, 1 trend has emerged appeared first on Golf.

The post In Scottie Scheffler’s weird season of near misses, 1 trend has emerged appeared first on Golf.

Scottie Scheffler stared at the ball as it rose through the Texas sky. The World No. 1 was coming off back-to-back birdies and had a green-light wedge from 105 yards. He was on the hunt, trying to run down Si Woo Kim and hold off Wyndham Clark to defend his title at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Everyone thought Scheffler, who started the final round two shots back, would eventually overtake Kim and claim the trophy. That’s what killers do. Surely, he’d stick this wedge shot tight for a third straight birdie and be off to the races.

The ball came down at the flag, but this time the golf gods had a different plan. It hit the stick and ricocheted back down the green, leaving Scheffler a 55-foot putt for birdie. He made par and eventually finished in third place, five shots back of Clark, who shot a final-round 11-under 60 to win.

“When you’re winning tournaments, those are the ones that sometimes go in,” Scheffler said, laughing, after his round. “When you’re not winning tournaments, those are the ones that hit the pin and kind of go 50, 60 feet away.”

And so Scottie Scheffler’s strange year of near-misses continued at a course he tore apart last season en route to a runaway win.

Scheffler has now finished in the top three six times this season. He won in his season debut at the American Express, but the floodgates have not opened as expected. Scheffler has still lived atop the leaderboard, but has constantly found himself grasping for a trophy yet unable to grip it.

Back in February at Pebble Beach, Rory McIlroy referred to Scheffler as “relentless.” Nothing seemed to faze the World No. 1. Not a bad round, bad shot, nor a bad break. He just kept coming. That week, Scheffler stumbled out of the gates in Round 1 but went on a Sunday charge that came up just short as he finished in a tie for fourth.

“One of my skills, and I feel I’ve been able to be on a lot of leaderboards recently, is getting in the round when I haven’t had my best stuff,” Scheffler said that week at Pebble Beach. “I think these are some of the weeks when you look back, I’m very proud of sticking with it, not giving up even when I felt like things were going against me this week. Just kept fighting, kept trying to hit shots, kept trying to execute.”

A lull by Scheffler’s standards followed as he finished T12 at the Genesis and T24 at the Arnold Palmer in his next two starts. At the Players Championship, Scheffler was asked about how he manages expectations. Ever since he broke through in 2022, Scottie Scheffler has won a lot and won everywhere. That level of dominance leads to everything being viewed through a binary lens: win or lose. Scheffler bristled at the idea that he had not been playing up to expectations. Expectations can be an anchor, especially if they are outsized. But Scottie Scheffler explained that he views everything through his ability to control his game and his preparation. The results will come if that foundation is sturdy.

“I think that’s kind of a funny question, because if you flipped my season around, what did I finish last week? Like 24th or something — 24th and 12th, and like 3rd and 4th, and a win. Would your question be the same if I was coming from 3rd, 4th, win?” Scheffler said at TPC Sawgrass. “So that’s my point. It’s like your expectations of me are living week by week. My expectations of myself are almost shot-by-shot.

“When it comes to my golf game and my expectations of myself, my expectations all are based around what I want for me mentally on the golf course as being committed to what I can do, and controlling that aspect.”

He struggled that week. The driver was bad, and his normally pristine iron game was only just really good.

Next came the Masters and a flurry of near-misses that have come to define a weird season for the world’s best player.

At Augusta National, Scheffler played near-flawless golf in brutal conditions in Round 1. He stumbled on an easier setup in the second round, leaving him 11 shots back of Rory McIlroy entering the weekend. Then, Scheffler played 36 holes of bogey-free golf and came up one shot short of McIlroy. On the 17th hole on Sunday, Scheffler’s birdie putt was tracking toward the hole but bobbled left at the last second, leading to a par and a second-place finish.

After the round, Scheffler bemoaned Augusta National’s decision to soften the setup on Friday and then praised McIlroy while noting that a few shots over the course of 72 holes were the difference. The margins are razor-thin, and sometimes one swing is the difference between winning and losing.

“I’ve competed against him for a long time, and you don’t win the amount of tournaments that he’s won out here without being pretty resilient,” Scheffler said of McIlroy. “I knew going into today I was going to have to do something special if I wanted to catch him on Cam [Young] and I was close but just a few shots here or there.”

Rory McIlroy beat Scottie Scheffler. But Scheffler also gave him an opening.

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The strange feeling of watching Scottie Scheffler fade away on PGA Sunday

By: Josh Schrock

A similar story unfolded the following week at the RBC Heritage.

Scheffler entered the weekend seven shots behind Matt Fitzpatrick, but made a weekend charge and tied the Englishman on the final hole to send the tournament to a playoff. Then, Fitzpatrick hit a piercing 4 iron through the wind to 13 feet and made the birdie putt to win and hand Scheffler another runner-up finish.

“On Sunday, it’s a shot here or there that makes a difference,” Scheffler said as Fitzpatrick celebrated. “This was one of those weeks where anytime Fitzy needed something to happen, he made something happen. He definitely earned the win, and he just played great golf.”

A few weeks later, at the Cadillac Championship, Scheffler got off to a ho-hum start while Cameron Young fired an opening-round 64 to best him by seven shots. Scheffler matched him over the next 54 holes but had to settle for a second-place finish as Young walked to a six-shot win at Doral.

“This week he hit a lot of quality shots,” Scheffler said of Young that week. “A lot of quality iron shots, quality tee shots, especially on the holes where it really matters. There are some tee shots out here that are really difficult and he stepped up and hit the shots. On the greens, he was unbelievable this week. First 27 holes, I don’t think he missed anything really. It was nuts. Guy was just holing everything. When you’re hitting really good shots and holing a lot of putts, that’s a recipe to run away with a golf tournament.”

Scottie Scheffler has been playing really good golf. If you look at his stats compared to last season, when he won seven times, Scheffler has been just a tick worse. Last season, Scheffler ranked first in total Strokes Gained (2.743), was second in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee (0.748), first in approach (1.291) and 22nd in putting (0.382). This season, Scheffler has been a little better on the greens (0.506) but has seen his iron play drop from otherworldly to just good (0.521 Strokes Gained: Approach). Scheffler’s total Strokes Gained is down to 2.221 this season. That still leads the PGA Tour, but the dip in iron play is just enough to make him beatable when other world-class players bring their A-game.

“If you looked statistically, I’m probably not much different than I have been the past couple of years, just a few shots here and there,” Scheffler said Sunday after losing to Clark. “A couple things go my way in some tournaments. This season looks a bit differently, but like you said, I’ve been playing some solid golf. Just keep putting myself in position, and things will turn my way.”

Golf is a fickle game that’s won and lost on the finest margins. Tiger Woods once went two years and four months without a win. Jack Nicklaus also went 24 months without a victory. Rory McIlroy went 18 months without hoisting a trophy.

Scheffler’s last win came three months ago.

He’s still the best player in the world. That his near-misses are even a topic of conversation speaks to the expectations of greatness. Such is the price of world-beating talent. Scottie Scheffler’s golf has been a touch below the standard he set last year, leading to him constantly finishing on the other side of golf’s fine line. One bad swing or bad round has opened the door for McIlroy, Fitzpatrick, Young and, on Sunday, Clark to play their best and beat him.

As he left TPC Craig Ranch on Sunday, Scheffler sounded like a broken record discussing another near-miss that very well could’ve had a different ending had he just been a little sharper and not run into another outstanding performance.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to tip your cap and say good playing, and 60 was going to be pretty tough to beat today,” Scheffler said. “Overall, I’m proud of this week for myself, but I wish I could have gotten a few more shots out of it. Overall, Wyndham played great golf.”

Then Scottie Scheffler departed his hometown tournament, hoping that his next start, the Memorial, will have a different ending.

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Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, our writers discuss news on the distance debate and try to make sense of Scottie Scheffler’s 2026 season.

One topic we never discussed in this space after the PGA Championship was that Cameron Young was playing with a ball that would reportedly conform under the new rollback guidelines set to take place in 2028. Our Sean Zak recently wrote how the rollback debate lines up to become golf’s next civil war. For those not into the weeds on this topic, why did the golf ball news at the PGA create such a stir and what’s at stake going forward?

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): The fact that this ball would reportedly be conforming, is currently in-play by one of the game’s biggest stars and can still be absolutely crushed by said star is … really interesting! I think many of us felt that the rollback would equal significant distance loss. So who knows? I guess it’s still early days. What will pro golf look like if, say, the PGA Tour rejects the rollback, and we have the four majors and USGA championships played with rolled-back balls, but no other tournaments? Is that even a possibility? Time will tell. And as Sean mentioned in his story, the coming months will likely reveal more.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): The news was enough to give pause to those on either side of the debate. For those opposed to a rollback, it seemed like evidence that any hand-wringing was much ado about nothing — because Young, after all, is still murdering the ball and seeing plenty of success. For those in favor of a rollback, it seemed to suggest that the proposed changes probably aren’t going far enough — because Young, after all, is still murdering the ball and seeing plenty of success. What’s at stake going forward? Profits more than performance is my guess. 

Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@schrock_and_awe): Sens nailed it. The news about Young’s ball made waves because he has been hitting the ball a mile and racking up wins. So, if the ball Young is using would conform to the rollback standards, it’s clearly not doing enough for those who want rollback and shows those opposed to the idea that this whole endeavor is kind of farcical. It’s not a secret that the ball needs to be rolled back, and probably in a bigger way than is already being proposed. But will the five families find a way to get to the place the game needs to be?

About a week after the Young story dropped, GOLF reported the PGA Tour sent a 13-question survey to PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour members on the issue of distance in golf and if the proposed USGA and R&A rollback is necessary. How much influence do you think the pros have on this topic going forward? And will it be enough to shape the future of the game?

Marksbury: I don’t know. On the surface, it seems like they have a lot of power, but if they want to compete, they will ultimately be subject to whatever the governing bodies decide to do.

Sens: I’m sure they have some influence, but far less than the manufacturers. And then there’s Augusta National, which will do whatever it wishes and possibly sooner than the rest of the game.

Schrock: They have influence over how the rules are enacted on their tour, but their say is minimal when it comes to the USGA, R&A and Augusta National. As Sens pointed out, I expect Fred Ridley, especially after his presser ahead of this year’s Masters, to set the pace.

In the days after Garrick Higgo was late for his PGA Championship tee time, penalized two strokes and missed the cut by one, Higgo and caddie Austin Gaugert parted ways. Gaugert took to social media to say, “as a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that.” While we don’t know all the details behind this incident, who should the blame typically fall on for these types of mistakes: caddie or player?

Marksbury: This is kind of tough. On one hand, a Tour caddie’s sole purpose is to support his player to the best of his abilities. On the other, showing up on time at the 1st tee is the most basic thing the game asks of you. So, without knowing the general dynamic between these two, I say it’s 70 percent Higgo’s fault, 30 percent Gaugert’s. I mean, Gaugert was on the tee at the right time. Higgo wasn’t.

Sens: If Gaugert had taken Higgo hostage and prevented him from getting to the 1st tee, I might be inclined to hold him responsible. Otherwise, I’d say this one is on the player.

Schrock: It’s a major. Be on the tee early. 

The PGA of America, one week after holding its biggest annual event of the year, announced its president, Don Rea, has been replaced as president by Nathan Charnes, who will serve as acting president. In a statement, the PGA of America said the move “followed a series of issues over time that, taken together, were determined to be detrimental to the Association.” Rea made headlines for some comments he made during the 2025 Ryder Cup, although given that was several months ago. Are you surprised he’s gone, or surprised the PGA waited this long?

Marksbury: I’m not surprised on either front. I’m sure there were protocols and investigations to get through, so the PGA opted to take its time in ultimately making the call.

Sens: My guess is that this was decided some time ago but acted on slowly partly for HR reasons and partly for optics — to avoid the appearance of acting rashly in response to public outcry. 

Schrock: Not surprised. His press conference at last year’s PGA was a disaster. Then came the Ryder Cup. They pushed him to the background and made the announcement the week after the PGA so they didn’t have to answer questions about it at the press conference. 

Wyndham Clark won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday, and Scottie Scheffler, who started the day two off the lead, finished in third. While Scheffler won his first start of the season and has compiled six top 10s since, he still hasn’t won for a second time. How do we start differentiating between a bunch of stacked up missed opportunities vs. simply playing good-but-not-winning golf?

Marksbury: It’s so hard to win, and certainly even harder to win consistently over the course of several years, as Scottie has done. I think we’re seeing a bit of the Tiger effect with him — our expectations are so high, we’re surprised every time he gets within striking distance and doesn’t collect a W. So, am I worried about Scottie? No. I can only imagine that every finish that falls short is fuel to his fire for the next one. 

Sens: Both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods had winless droughts of more than two years in their primes. Scheffler is going to be just fine. But it would definitely help his cause if his putter heated up.

Schrock: He won a ton in 2023 and then cooled off in 2024 while still playing great golf. He racked up a ton of wins last year, and this year his putter has been a little cooler and his iron game not as precise. He’s still a poor Friday at Augusta from probably winning the Masters, and I think he should’ve won the PGA if his putter had been neutral. The game ebbs and flows, and he’s still the best player in the world. He’ll probably win Memorial in two weeks.

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Post-round interviews on Sundays are often short but can be extremely telling. Sometimes it’s through tears or choked up answers. Other times it’s just a big exhale and a scattered brain as the reality rushes over them. For Wyndham Clark on Sunday, it was a curious answer about one of his darkest moments: the situation between him and Oakmont Country Club after he damaged a locker at last year’s U.S. Open.

“I have to first thank a lot of people,” Clark said after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, “because what happened at Oakmont wasn’t the greatest thing.” 

He then thanked each of his sponsors by name for sticking with him through a trying time. “I’m very thankful for that,” he continued, adding, “You know, the greatest thing about having a downfall like that is the comeback. Today feels really special after having a tough year and grinding it out.” 

Not everything was made clear by that answer, but the fact that it was volunteered so immediately and acknowledged publicly says something. Perhaps Clark will add more as the weeks and months move forward, having summited the Tour mountain once again. Sunday’s immediate response was telling, in part, because Clark hadn’t spoken much about Oakmont period. 

Last June, in the waning minutes of the U.S. Open, Clark severely damaged one of the lockers in that club’s ancient locker room. In the weeks that followed, whatever happened — or didn’t — led to the club banning Clark from Oakmont property. In a letter addressed to Oakmont membership, club president John Lynch said, “Reinstatement would be contingent upon Mr. Clark fulfilling a number of specific conditions, including full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity of the Board’s choosing, and the successful completion of counseling and/or anger management sessions.”

As with plenty of things in pro golf and involving a famously exclusive golf club, not much else was said publicly. A month later, at the Open Championship, Clark said he wanted to do “anything” he could to show Oakmont, “what happened there was not a reflection of who I am and won’t happen again.” He apologized again, but made it clear he intended to right his wrongs.

Until this week, that was the last we’d heard of it. Right until the opening answer of Clark’s post-win interview. 

Perhaps it is most fitting for this kind of statement from Clark, whose journey to the top of the pro game has often aligned with a discussion about mental health. He admitted to Amanda Balionis that there were times in 2025 that he was concerned he may never get back in the winner’s circle. On Saturday, as part of a tournament initiative that allows players to decide what name or phrase is velcro’d to their caddie’s back, Clark included the term “Unlok”, the name of a mental health app he hopes to launch in the coming year.

His career triumph, at the 2023 U.S. Open, was a story of mental health, and not always a positive one. It was during his championship press conference that he admitted to “three or four” moments of mental anguish in his career through which he stayed the course. Those moments included, by his own admission, screaming in his car, punching things, etc. It pushed him to PGA Tour sports psychologist Julie Elion, who Clark thanked to no end in the months that followed. Their work together unlocked his true potential, helping him rise as high as No. 3 in the world.

But when his good golf began to fade, that mental battle continued to show itself. It showed when he whipped his club into tournament signage at the 2025 PGA, and it showed in how he responded during a disappointing weekend at Oakmont. The journey of pro golf and the journey of mental health is rarely linear. He finished 2025 outside the top 40 in the world and dropped further this spring. Then, almost all of a sudden, he led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting on Saturday and Sunday, making over 250 feet of putts and boat-racing the field to a score of 30 under.

Asked afterward about how he did it, Clark said he was in a zone, but a different one than in his past victories. He called it a “calm zone” and admitted it was a bit weird. But that’s the same word he used numerous times at the Masters last month: calm. Calmness with life off the golf course. Calmness arriving for the first round and the final round. Calm enough to just go out, hit golf shots, and maybe make everything.

“Here it just almost felt like I was playing at home,” Clark said, “and every hole was a new hole. I didn’t worry that I just made six birdies or that I needed to make more. I just was like, all right, I have this 20-footer. I see it left edge, and I’d hit it, and it would go in.”

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The post Blades Brown earned massive PGA Tour reward at Byron Nelson. Now, a decision looms appeared first on Golf.

The post Blades Brown earned massive PGA Tour reward at Byron Nelson. Now, a decision looms appeared first on Golf.

The last time Blades Brown faced a choice, he took the unconventional route. He was a 17-year-old budding golf star who chose to forgo college to turn pro and pursue his dream of playing on the PGA Tour rather than postpone the climb.

Brown’s foray into professional golf hasn’t been a smooth ride. He made just three cuts in eight starts on the PGA Tour last year but was able to secure full-time Korn Ferry Tour status for 2026. He has played well so far this season on both tours. He was in the final group at the American Express with Scottie Scheffler and Si Woo Kim. Brown stumbled on Sunday and lost the tournament, but the 18-hole walk with Scheffler on a Sunday gave him something priceless.

“Getting to play with Scottie Scheffler in the final group at 18 years old is — I had to pinch myself couple of times just to make sure this was real,” Brown said after finishing in a tie for 18th that week.

“I would say one of the coolest things that I learned today was how underrated Scottie Scheffler’s short game is. To see it in person and just to look at kind of the trajectory and the spin, and just the control that he has with his wedges and short game. Obviously, his putting is insane, too. It was really cool to watch. So I’m definitely going to go work on that.”

When Brown left Palm Springs, he said he was “running his own race.” He’d get to the PGA Tour on his own schedule. Whenever it arrived, it arrived. But for now, he was content with grinding his way up through the Korn Ferry Tour, soaking up the myriad of lessons the feeder tour has to offer someone who just turned 19 three days ago.

But things move fast and plans can change, especially when you’re blessed with prodigious talent.

Brown’s race led him to this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, where he got to tee it up on a sponsor invite. Brown carded four rounds in the 60s, including a 4-under 67 on Sunday, to finish in a tie for 14th and earn enough FedEx Cup points to gain Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour. He only needed to finish in a tie for 21st this week to secure that prize. That means that Brown can now accept unlimited sponsor exemptions through the remainder of the PGA Tour season, including the fall slate. Players who don’t have Special Temporary Membership are capped at seven sponsor invites.

Brown admitted that he achieved Special Temporary Membership faster than he anticipated, but that’s the product of being patient with the process since turning pro. Blades Brown knew that everything wouldn’t happen overnight and that he would have to focus on incremental progress before that would eventually lead him to his desired destination.

“I try to set my own goals and standards,” Brown said after his final round at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. “It just kind of happens. Like I just try to take it one shot at a time, control the controllables that I can, and just try to let everything else happen on its own.”

News

Blades Brown lost American Express but picked up something priceless

By: Josh Schrock

Now, Brown faces another decision. He can commit fully to the PGA Tour for the rest of the season, which would allow him to try and play his way to a full-time membership in 2027 and into next year’s Signature Events. He can commit fully to the Korn Ferry Tour for the rest of the season and try to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2027 season through the Korn Ferry Tour points system. Brown is currently 13th on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour points list. The top 20 at the end of the season get their PGA Tour cards for 2027. That might be the safer option, but it would mean he wouldn’t have access to the Signature Events to start the 2027 season. The third option is for Brown to straddle both worlds and play in the tournaments he wants on both tours. That option could leave him without status on either tour in 2027 if he doesn’t play well.

Brown isn’t sure what path he’ll choose. He plans to play in next week’s Korn Ferry event in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then will pick a road to walk, knowing that the dirt holds the key, regardless of his choice.

“Good golf takes care of everything,” Brown said. “The Korn Ferry Tour is awesome. For me, what it’s done for me is it’s provided me a pathway to the PGA TOUR. The cool thing that I think it’s done is it’s taught me to go low. I can’t thank the Korn Ferry Tour enough for teaching me those valuable lessons, because everybody out on the PGA TOUR, they can go low. Look at Wyndham [Clark], look at Scottie [Scheffler], look at Si Woo [Kim]. Twenty-eight-under, 27-under is not a joke. Without the Korn Ferry Tour, I would not have had that strength.

“I’m excited for the next couple of weeks and see what’s going to happen.”

No matter what Blades Brown chooses to do, he feels that having Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour at age 19 has vindicated his decision to pass on college and jump into pro golf’s deep end as a teenager.

He has shown he belongs. There’s more climbing to do, but Blades Brown is right where he’s supposed to be after securing a rare PGA Tour reward at TPC Craig Ranch this week. Whatever decision Brown makes, he has shown he can weather the ups and downs that choice will bring.

“I’m unsure of where I want to go as of right now,” Brown told CBS’ Amanda Balionis. “It’s a pretty cool spot to be in. Saying that I now have Special Temporary status on the PGA Tour, younger Blades would be like, ‘You have what?’ For me to be able to say that I’m a Special Temporary Member on the PGA Tour is pretty sick.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do right now. We will have to see.”

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The post Controversial PGA of America president is ousted after chaotic Ryder Cup  appeared first on Golf.

The post Controversial PGA of America president is ousted after chaotic Ryder Cup  appeared first on Golf.

Don Rea, embroiled in controversy following events at last year’s Ryder Cup, has been replaced as president of the PGA of America. 

In a statement late Friday afternoon, the governing body said that the move “followed a series of issues over time that, taken together, were determined to be detrimental to the Association.” The PGA said Nathan Charnes would be moved from vice president to acting president until November, when Rea’s two-year term was to have ended. 

Rea had caught heat at last September’s Ryder Cup, which was run by the PGA of America, over a series of actions, including:

– His comments to the BBC on the Sunday of the event. A day earlier, spectators at Bethpage Black on Long Island had turned unruly turned toward the European team, and Rea, after being asked about that, started his answer this way:

“Well, you got 50,000 people here that are really excited, and, heck, you can go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things. We tell the fans booing at somebody doesn’t make them play worse. Typically it makes them play better. And when our American players have to control the crowds, that distracts from playing.”

Rea was then asked specifically about fan comments toward Rory McIlroy, who was playing for Europe. 

“I haven’t heard some of that,” he said. “I’m sure it’s happened. You know, it happens when we’re over in Rome on the other side. And Rory understands. I thought he handled the press conference yesterday amazingly. But yeah, things like that are going to happen. I don’t know what was said. But all I know is golf is the engine of good.”

One day later, Rea sent a letter to PGA of America members condemning the fan behavior, and he apologized. “While it wasn’t my intention,” Rea wrote, “some of my comments were seen in a negative light which reflects poorly on not only myself but also on the PGA of America and for that I truly apologize.” McIlroy also said in November that Rea had reached out to apologize. 

– His karaoke performance on the Saturday night of the event. Following the unruly play that afternoon, Rea was recorded singing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, and video of that was found and circulated by The Fried Egg golf website.  

– A comment on Sunday during the trophy ceremony. After Europe won the event 15-13, Rea said the Europeans retained the cup, instead of winning it outright.  

In February, Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported that Rea had been reassigned to handle “member-first priorities.” At last week’s PGA Championship, another PGA of America event, Rea was not publicly seen. At a press conference on the day before the tournament, PGA of America CEO Terry Clark was asked about PGA of America governance and why Rea wasn’t at the media session, and he said that Rea had been focused on “how we think about our membership.” 

A reporter then asked if the move was related to Rea’s Ryder Cup comments. 

“I think you’re specifically talking to Don and his comments,” Clark said. “Specifically, what we’ve asked is for Don to keep his focus on the member side, and we’ve tried to keep the right responsibilities across our distinct leaders in here. So that’s it.”

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The post Inside President Trump’s D.C. muni plan — from the guy who’s building it appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside President Trump’s D.C. muni plan — from the guy who’s building it appeared first on Golf.

It’s not easy saying no to the president, but Tom Fazio did.

When President Trump asked the acclaimed course designer late last year if he’d be game to renovate East Potomac Golf Links — a nearly century-old D.C. municipal course just south of the National Mall — Fazio didn’t need long to mull the offer.

“A quick ‘no,’” he said the other day, recalling his conversation with the president. “Because I don’t deal with aggravation.”

By aggravation, Fazio, who is 81, meant the extensive permitting, approvals and other red tape that often accompany municipal projects. Trump’s vision also would mean unwinding plans already underway by D.C. nonprofit National Links Trust. In 2020, the Department of the Interior had granted NLT a 50-year lease to manage and restore East Potomac and D.C.’s other two munis, Langston and Rock Creek. For the East Potomac redo, NLT had tapped another marquee designer in Tom Doak. Stepping over that work was certain to draw opposition from the local golf community.

But then, by sheer coincidence, Fazio’s wife Sue intervened. Sue had a D.C. trip scheduled to visit a friend and urged Tom to join her. Tom, who was busy with work, at first resisted but then relented and used the getaway as an opportunity to tour East Potomac, which sits on a manmade peninsula with the Washington Channel to the east, the Potomac River to the west and Washington Monument views to the north.        

“I thought, ‘Holy mackerel, this is awesome,’” Fazio said.

He called the president.

“I told you no,” Fazio told Trump, “but you were right.”

The site was too good to turn down.  

***

FAZIO HAS KNOWN TRUMP for decades. He has designed four courses in Trump’s portfolio, including the first course at Trump Bedminster, the president’s New Jersey hangout. (Fazio’s course-designer nephew, Tommy Fazio, and Tommy’s course-designer father, Jim, also have their names on Trump courses.) In November, Fazio visited the White House, where he and the president talked golf. They do that occasionally, but mostly by phone and only on weekends. “He’s got other things to do,” Fazio said with a laugh. “He’s running the world.”

The world, and other things. One of the first signs that East Potomac was on Trump’s radar came in October when dump trucks full of dirt from the president’s East Wing renovation project began showing up at the facility and depositing tons of debris in an area near the 4th and 9th holes on the nine-hole executive course. (The property also has a 18-hole regulation course and nine-hole par-3 course.)

A more obvious indicator of Trump’s interest came at the end of December, when the Interior Department broke the NLT’s lease, alleging the organization had failed to pay rent and was underdelivering on maintaining and improving the courses; NLT roundly disputed the claims.

The Interior Department’s decision left the three munis’ futures in an awkward, unsettling limbo that extended through the first four months of 2026. Then, on May 9, the administration provided some clarity, announcing it had reached a deal with several private and public entities, including Fazio Design, to begin “immediate renovations” of East Potomac, while returning oversight of the Langston and Rock Creek renovations to the NLT.

None of this activity has come without resistance. In February, two D.C.-area golfers, in tandem with the D.C. Preservation League, sued the administration for threatening to undermine East Potomac’s role as a public park. Earlier this month, in response to a different filing, a federal judge ruled the administration could proceed with maintenance work on the course but was prohibited from overhauling it without prior notice and proper approvals. Save East Po, an advocacy group that has been protesting Trump’s plan, describes itself as “people who love East Potomac and want to make sure the character of this special place continues for the next generation of DMV residents.”

Some of the public’s pushback has made its way into Fazio’s inbox. “I’ve gotten some emails and requests from people telling me, ‘Don’t work on that project,’” he said. “Some of them were very insulting; some of them are what I’d call ridiculous. But that’s beside the point. I guess you get used to that when you deal with a lot of different opinions and personalities.”

Whatever criticism Fazio weathers or whatever obstacles he’ll need to overcome to see this rebuild through, he believes the payoff will be worth it. The site, in his mind, is that special.

“It’s Pebble Beach quality land in terms of environment, in terms of setting,” he said. “The president’s idea is to upgrade it to be literally a national monument — and there’s no reason it can’t be a national monument.”

***

FAZIO KNOWS AND APPRECIATES what the existing version of East Potomac means to D.C. residents. He has friends in the area whose children grew up playing the course; they have expressed to him their concerns about what might become of their beloved muni, the same concerns you’ll hear from many East Potomac regulars. What will happen to green fees, which now are capped at $48? Will the new design, which can play to nearly 7,700 yards — and which Trump has said he’d like to see host majors and a Ryder Cup — box out beginners and shorter-hitters? Will the facility assume an upscale or exclusive atmosphere that could alienate some golfers? Will it lose its ties to its rich history and to the original reversible Walter Travis design that the heralded Golden Age architect laid down in 1921?

“It’s controversial,” Fazio allows, adding of the president, “Anything he’s involved with becomes controversial.” But, Fazio said, it’s also too early to jump to conclusions. “Facts have been not put out yet,” he said. Indeed, the administration has offered few specifics about its plans for the property. Last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared Fazio’s preliminary design for the site but accompanied only by a brief message that read in part, “Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals — of the National Capital Region — championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.”

Fazio has no insight into what those rates might be but suspects that the fees will be subsidized for locals, as they have been at other high-profile muni rebuilds in recent years, including The Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Memorial Park in Houston; and The Patch in Augusta, Ga., where Fazio led the re-design along with Beau Welling.    

Fazio has little experience working with municipalities or, as he puts it, “the processes that go along with getting lots of different opinions.” But his job, as he sees it, is to build the best possible golf course and facility he can within the parameters that are provided to him by the Interior Department. Ideally, he said, he’ll work quickly, which aligns with Trump’s wishes. “The president happens to be a guy of action,” Fazio said. “He wants to get this thing done so people can enjoy it play it, and not one of these ‘10 years down the road and drag it out forever’ things. He wants to get it done now.”

That has been Trump’s m.o. with projects all over town, ranging from the White House ballroom addition to his remodeling (and renaming) of the Trump Kennedy Center to his plans for a statue park along the Potomac River. He seems determined to leave his physical legacy on the city.

At East Potomac, though, Fazio can’t just snap his fingers. He needs engineering, environmental and legal clearance before he can break ground. In terms of an estimated start date, he said, “We’ll probably know in a month or so from now based on the steps that have to be taken through the permit approval process and the regulations that have to be done.”

Best case, Fazio said, he’d start construction later this summer, grass the course next summer and have it ready for play in the spring of 2028. “That’s, like, the most optimistic schedule that anybody can have, right?” he said.

Trump’s last day in office will be Jan. 20, 2029.

***

WHEN FAZIO DOES GET MOVING in earnest, one of his top priorities will be improving drainage and building up the property’s low-lying areas so they don’t take on as much water as they do now — not only from rain but also from tidal surges. “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet,” he said. “We’re evaluating what do we do to keep it from flooding? How do we grow grass on the turf? We’re doing all those studies as we speak.”

Fazio said the president already has asked him what the renovation will cost. Fazio doesn’t know. “I don’t have an idea yet until we evaluate all the conditions and deal with the constraints of the site,” he said. “Certainly, we know more rules and more regulations mean more cost. Just simple facts. That’s what we’re looking at now and evaluating how much dirt are we going to move to elevate the areas that flood.” He said he’ll expect to have a better handle on budget in several weeks.

Some savings will come by way of the more than 30,000 cubic yards of dirt from Trump’s White House renovation project, which, according to National Park Service data, contains low levels of lead, chromium and other toxic metals. Some savings, Fazio said, but not much savings. “It’s nothing,” he said of the volume of soil relative to what the whole project will require, adding the president “was shocked when I told him that.” Fazio said he intends to use the debris to build a couple of greens and a couple of bunkers, but “it won’t raise the land and keep it from flooding.”

The current plan has the opening two holes — parallel par-4s — detached from the rest of the layout in the northwest corner of the property, with a sprawling practice range flanking the 2nd hole and, beyond that, a nine-hole par-3 course. The remaining 16 holes will sit on the footprint of the existing course with about half the holes, Fazio said, occupying the existing corridors.

The current holes all run north and south; Fazio plans to change that. “We like to bend and twist and create some variety in different sun angles and those kinds of things,” he said. Given he has limited land with which to work, he called the design process an exercise in “space allocation.” Fazio added that he would have liked to extend the layout all the way to the end of the peninsula but said “that’s not the criteria that I was given to work with.”

From the back tees, the course will play a beefy 7,660 yards. That figure, paired with the president’s desire for the course to test the world’s best players, has some locals worrying about playability. Fazio is keen to allay those concerns. “I’ve never done a golf course that’s not playable for [a high-handicapper],” he said. “I wouldn’t do it any other way.” The course, he said, will, at a minimum, have two sets of forward tees, two sets of middle tees and two sets of championship tees. “If we only put the third tee from the front,” he said, “guys who are serious players would say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a short golf course and I’m not interested in that.’”

But, yes, Fazio is intending for the course, when all stretched out, to challenge elite players. “There’s not one golf course I’ve ever done that [the developer] hasn’t thought that we’d be able to hold a major championship on. We’re going to build the best golf course — the equivalent to the Aronominks and the Quail Hollows and the Shinnecocks. It’s gonna be that quality, whether you have an event or not.”

Trump wants an event, a big one, and Fazio said his planning has accounted for how galleries might flow through the property, and that some of the contouring he’s envisioning could serve as natural vantage points for fans. How tens of thousands of spectators, vendors and tournament support staff might get in and out of the peninsula is another matter, likely one best suited for logistics experts to solve. Still, Fazio said there is a need for more tournament-ready courses in the D.C. area.

“There are many golf courses in the region that can host a PGA-quality event,” Fazio said, noting such sites as Congressional, TPC Avenel and Caves Valley, which is north of Baltimore. “But most of them don’t want to, because that means you have to give up your golf course.”

***

PRESERVING OR PAYING HOMAGE to Travis’s original design was not top of mind for Fazio, he said, partly because maps and references from Travis’s work are scant but more so because the existing design isn’t suited for the modern game. “There won’t be any holes that are exactly the way they are now because they’re not acceptable in today’s golf standards,” he said. “People talk about designing or preserving the old golf courses. If Donald Ross or [A.W.] Tillinghast, the famous great old designers, if they would have had the budgets and equipment we had today, they would’ve done a whole lot of things differently than they did.”

The current clubhouse, with pillars that resemble a D.C. monument, will stay and be refurbished, Fazio said. The addition of a second clubhouse down the line is also a possibility. “Our job and my job always is to look at options and possibilities and what can be done over time,” Fazio said.

The new range, which will replace the dilapidated double-decker range that now sits on the northwest corner of the facility, will run south to north. That is intentional so late in the day golfers won’t be hitting into the setting sun, as they do now. “When you hit a golf ball, especially on a practice tee,” Fazio said, “you kind of like to see it land.” Fazio said the range will extend to 400 yards from the back tee with players hitting balls toward the Washington Monument. “The president loves practice ranges,” Fazio said, so Fazio and his team are aiming to take full advantage of East Potomac’s dramatic setting.

“Where’s the greatest practice range you’ve ever seen?” he continued. “Well, if you stood on the practice tee at the East Potomac and hit balls, that could be as good as any place in the world. Of course, as an American, I’d say that, because I’m looking at the Washington Monument. But it’s a big deal.”  

The par-3 course, which flanks the east side of the property, next to the Blue course, will be nixed and replaced by another nine-hole short course on the northeast corner of the parcel. Fazio said he expects the hole yardages to be line in with the current course, where the shortest hole from the back tees is 64 yards and the longest is 208 yards. East Potomac’s recently restored miniature golf course, which is the country’s oldest continuously operating miniature golf course and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, will remain, Fazio said.

Changes are afoot, and local golfers can expect them to come sooner than later, with a seal of approval from the highest office in the land.

“As the president says, as a guy who’s a golfer, he’s just not happy with a golf course with very little grass on it, with bad drainage, with bad putting surfaces, with not quality experiences,” Fazio said. “He’s going to fix it.”

The author welcomes your comments at alan.bastable@golf.com.

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The post Brooks Koepka names 1 ‘huge advantage’ PGA Tour has over LIV Golf appeared first on Golf.

The post Brooks Koepka names 1 ‘huge advantage’ PGA Tour has over LIV Golf appeared first on Golf.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has fallen back in love with “the grind” of PGA Tour life. He also feels “in complete control” of his game, both of which should worry his fellow Tour players as the season careens toward the summer.

Unlike many of the stars who contended at last week’s PGA Championship (with the exceptions of Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth), Koepka is taking no time off following the second major of the year. He’s teeing it up at this week’s 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

Due to the penalties he accepted to enable his PGA Tour return, Koepka needs to play whenever he’s eligible as he tries to work his way up the FedEx Cup rankings to qualify for the PGA Tour’s biggest events.

It’s a big departure from his years with LIV Golf, where Koepka only had to worry about qualifying for majors.

But along with providing updates on his game and the PGA Tour grind during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, Koepka also revealed one way in which the PGA Tour players have a “huge advantage” over their LIV Golf counterparts.

Brooks Koepka reveals ‘newfound love’ in PGA Tour return: ‘Enjoying the grind’

This week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch represents the 11th start of Koepka’s surprising PGA Tour return, made possible through the newly formed (and short-lived) Returning Member Program.

A big catch in Koepka’s deal was that he could not accept sponsor’s exemptions into Signature Events this year. If he wants to play in the Tour’s biggest tournaments, he has to play his way in.

“Every week is a new fresh start for me, and I’m obviously with my penalty I’m not allowed to play every event, and if I get the chance to tee up, I want to play,” Koepka said on Wednesday in Texas.

As the season has advanced, Koepka’s worked his way closer and closer to the Signature Event promised land. He earned a top 10 at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches in February and put up solid finishes at the Players Championship (T13), the Masters (T12) and at the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic (T11), which was contested the same week as the Truist Championship, a Signature Event.

News

Brooks Koepka finally has a tee time. And an admirable mindset

By: Josh Berhow

That’s moved him up to 69th in the FedEx Cup standings. The top 50 automatically qualify for all Signature Events, and Koepka is just a few spots away from the Aon Next 10, another pathway into those tournaments.

Rather than complain about having to grind it out like a Tour rookie, though, Koepka revealed that he’s “fallen back in love” with the experience.

“I’ve mentioned it a couple times, I’ve kind of fallen back in love with this. I’m enjoying the grind. I’m enjoying battling it out here,” Koepka said on Wednesday. “Yeah, it’s just a newfound love, a newfound passion for the game, and something that I’m really, really enjoying being back on the road and grinding it out and trying to find it in the dirt. I think there’s something to be said about that.”

He added: “Each week is becoming more and more fun, and I very much enjoy that.”

His increasingly solid results help with that, no doubt. According to Koepka, his improved finishes are a direct result of his game rounding into form.

“I’m driving the ball fantastic. I feel like I’m in complete control. Ever since Augusta, where we noticed the setting was at B1 and we switched it back to A1 on that driver, I can work it both ways. The flight’s very, very good. Iron play’s been fantastic,” Koepka said. “I feel like I’m in complete control of my golf ball — shape, spin, trajectory, everything seems to be right where I need it to be. It’s just a matter of rolling those putts in.”

With another high finish this week, Koepka could finally gain access to the Signature Events. But even if he doesn’t, he’s already qualified for next month’s most important tournament: the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Koepka, a two-time U.S. Open champion, captured his second title at Shinnecock in 2018.

Koepka says gear access on PGA Tour superior to LIV: ‘Sometimes I wasn’t privy’

The “grind” is not the only thing Koepka is enjoying about his PGA Tour return. On Wednesday, he also shared another way his life on Tour is better than his time on LIV Golf: equipment.

Specifically, Koepka explained that his access to new equipment on the PGA Tour, for testing purposes and mid-tournament adjustments, is far better than his gear access was at LIV Golf events.

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By: Josh Schrock

“Yeah, it’s totally different, like I said, just being able to see all the different — just to have so many options, it’s maybe a little bit overwhelming, at the same time, because access to equipment trucks, grip changes, things like that, sometimes I wasn’t privy to over the last four, five years. During majors was kind of the only time you saw it,” Koepka revealed.

He continued: “So to be back out here and have the opportunity to if you need to make a slight change in something, it’s a whole lot easier, or you damage a club during play, to get a replacement, a shaft change, whatever it might be.”

He went on to describe the PGA Tour equipment treatment as a “huge advantage” over LIV Golf.

“Just more access to everything, I think, has been a huge advantage,” he said. “I’m not going to do too much of that. I know I keep changing the putter pretty much every week now, but as far as the rest of the equipment that I have, I’m very satisfied with it. I’m very, very pleased with it.”

As to whether other LIV Golf players have called Koepka for advice on making the transition back to the PGA Tour, Koepka said no. The reason? He changed his phone number.

“I changed my number a while ago, so I don’t think many guys have my number, which is great,” Koepka said. “So I haven’t had to worry about too much of that.”

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