SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA | While last year’s WM Phoenix Open champion Thomas Detry debuts this week at LIV Golf Riyadh, five-time LIV winner Brooks Koepka is back at TPC Scottsdale, site of his first PGA Tour victory more than a decade ago.
With one start under his belt since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV – he finished T56 at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines – Koepka is glad to be back in the Phoenix Open’s raucous fan environment.
“It’s a fun tournament to play,” Koepka said. “I enjoy the chaos. It’s fun. It can kind of get you in between shots. Gives you something to either kind of laugh at, or, whatever’s going on, there’s always something to see.”
Koepka is looking to build on his record in a tournament he has won twice (2015, 2021). In his last start at TPC Scottsdale in 2022, he finished T3 behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
“I like this place,” Koepka said. “I’ve obviously had some good results here. I’m excited to play on a golf course I feel comfortable on. Obviously winning it twice helps. Any time you win twice on a golf course you feel pretty good and pretty comfortable.”
Dealing with heckling is one thing, but Koepka has been subject to criticism from PGA Tour players and others since joining LIV in 2022. Since returning to the tour in January via the returning member program, the overall response from players has been positive, he said.
The Phoenix Open is known for its mix of traditional golf fans and spectators who are more interested in a good time than golf. Fans tend to get rowdy, and sometimes toe the line of what is acceptable spectator behavior. Every once in a while, a streaker might interrupt play or beer cups are thrown from the grandstands onto the famous par-3 16th hole.
More commonly, and somewhat constantly, fans heckle the players..
“There’s definitely a few memorable ones, I don’t think any I can share here,” Koepka said. “You spend a few years here and you see a lot of things.”
Dealing with heckling is one thing, but Koepka has been subject to criticism from PGA Tour players and others since joining LIV in 2022. Since returning to the tour in January via the returning member program, the overall response from players has been positive, he said.
“I haven’t had any difficult [conversations],” Koepka said. “Maybe just ones where it’s ‘just happy to see you back, we’re glad you’re back’ type things.”
One player grateful to see Koepka back is world No. 1 Scheffler. Teammates on the 2023 Ryder Cup team, they also made cameos together in Happy Gilmore 2.
Koepka’s recent return to the PGA Tour, along with Patrick Reed’s expected return later this year, shows the tour is listening to its fans, Scheffler said.
“I think people want the best people playing together again,” he said. “So when it comes to great players like Brooks or Patrick Reed … having those guys competing out here is great for the tour, great for the fans, and great for our sponsors.”
While Koepka is happy to be back on the PGA Tour, he’s trying to stay out of the politics. He wants to focus on his own game.
“I’m just focused on myself,” Koepka said. “I’m focused on how I can go play the best golf over the next four days. I’m not focused on anybody else.”
As of now, Koepka isn’t qualified to play in any of this year’s eight signature events, which offer larger purses and award more FedEx Cup points. Having only played in one tournament so far, he’s unlikely to qualify for the first two signature events, next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the following week’s Genesis Invitational, via the Aon Swing 5. If he doesn’t win the Phoenix Open (which would automatically qualify him), he needs to come close to winning to have any chance.
However, as Koepka said last week, having to play himself into the signature events is fun for him.
“I love the grind,” Koepka said. “I’ve always enjoyed it. I guess it’s a fresh start for me, which is cool. It’s just another chapter I guess in my book. I’m excited for that. I feel like my game’s in pretty good shape and I want to see where it’s at.”
If he does not qualify this week, Koepka will set his sights on the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches later this month. Since Aon Swing 5 standings carry over to that tournament, good performances in both the Phoenix Open and Cognizant Classic would give Koepka a chance to qualify for next month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the third signature event of the season. He’d also have a chance to qualify via the Aon Next 10, determined by the top 10 players not already exempt from the FedEx Cup standings.
It will be difficult, but Koepka has a comfort level at Phoenix and the Cognizant Classic at PGA National, played near his hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida.
“It’s just good to be back,” he said. “Good to see some golf courses where I’m familiar with and kind of know where to hit it. I think that’s a huge thing.”