Brooks Koepka makes shock PGA Tour return admission... after delivering brutally honest LIV Golf verdict

LIV Golf prima Brooks Koepka has admitted helium inactive speaks with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and would beryllium 'open' to participating successful prime PGA events if allowed.

Koepka, who joined the Saudi-backed league successful 2022, has been banned (like different LIV players) from competing successful non-Majors.

But successful an interrogation with The Times, helium earmarked a fewer PGA tournaments he'd similar to instrumentality to successful the future. 

'I inactive person a bully narration with everybody there,' helium said. There's a batch of 'what-ifs', but I'd beryllium unfastened to playing definite [PGA Tour] events.

'Like I emotion Phoenix [Open, successful Arizona]. The Cognizant Classic, due to the fact that it's my hometown. I'd emotion to play Dunhill [on the DP World Tour], but if we can't that's OK. I've made my decision.'

Koepka said 'each twelvemonth astatine LIV has got better,' but his remarks came aft helium struck a overmuch antithetic code earlier successful the week.

Speaking astatine a property league connected Tuesday, up of LIV's latest tourney successful Doral, Florida, the five-time Major victor expressed vexation astatine the existent authorities of the league.

'I deliberation we each hoped it would person been a small spot further along, and that's nary secret,' Koepka told reporters. 'No substance wherever you're at, you ever anticipation everything is further along. But they're making advancement and it seems to beryllium going successful the close direction.' 

Since being founded successful 2021 - and poaching immoderate of the biggest names successful play - LIV has struggled severely for viewership successful the United States.

The league precocious signed a broadcast woody with Fox Sports, and averaged conscionable 40,200 viewers crossed FS1 and FS2 for the last circular successful Riyadh, according to Nielsen ratings reported widely.

Meanwhile, events successful Hong Kong and Singapore this twelvemonth drew 29,000 and 34,000 viewers respectively, with Adelaide drafting an improved 249,000, arsenic reported by Golf Digest.

Newly-installed CEO Scott O’Neil told reporters this week that 2.5million radical worldwide watched the Riyadh event, and called LIV 'the F1 of golf.'

Nonetheless, LIV and the PGA agreed successful June 2023 to a 'framework agreement' to merge - though astir 2 years later, a woody has not been finalized.

In February, Monahan and PGA Tour subordinate directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan (who funds LIV) and President Donald Trump successful DC.

However, nary woody has been struck, and Rory McIlroy told reporters this week that a ceremonial statement 'doesn't consciousness similar it's immoderate closer.'