PGA Tour veteran Hideki Matsuyama got his season off to a good start at the Sony Open. But at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, the 2021 Masters champion will have a formidable new opponent to contend with: Brooks Koepka.
While Matsuyama has no problem with Koepka personally, he does have a problem with the PGA Tour allowing Koepka to return to LIV Golf, at least the way he did.
Matsuyama shared his criticism of Koepka’s quick return to the Tour in a new interview with Golf Digest Japan.
Hideki Matsuyama questions the PGA Tour about Koepka’s return
Koepka was allowed to return to the PGA Tour using the newly created Returning Member Program. The program has certain rules that allow an accelerated return to the PGA Tour for top LIV golfers.
Only Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith fit those criteria. With the window set to close on February 2nd, Koepka is the only one who has accepted (although Patrick Reed LIV’s departure may encourage others to follow Koepka).
Even Koepka admitted he was surprised how quickly everything came together after parting ways with LIV in late December. Generally, former PGA Tour players who joined the LIV will be suspended for one year if they reapply to the Tour.
That’s why Koepka’s news surprised Matsuyama, as he revealed in his interview with Golf Digest Japan.
‘I’m very sad’: He criticizes Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return
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“I was shocked when I heard about it in the news… I thought, ‘Oh, he’s going to come back…’ I think they took that step because he got results from LIV,” Matsuyama commented.
Matsuyama showed no animosity toward Koepka, saying of his exit from LIV, “I think it’s amazing that Brooks had the courage to make that decision.”
However, Matsuyama also expressed his “confusion” about the situation, particularly the lack of communication from the PGA Tour regarding the Returning Member program.
“But I am surprised that the PGA Tour did not explain anything to the players. At least, I did not know that such a rule existed,” he said.
He then explained his confusion as to why Koepka was allowed to skip the one-year ban from playing at LIV Golf.
“Although there was a financial conflict, what about the non-financial things? What happened to the rule that the players who participated in LIV were not allowed to compete [on the PGA Tour] a year?” Matsuyama said. “That’s what I’m thinking a lot about.”
The issue is specific to Matsuyama, who turned down an offer of more money from LIV Golf in 2022, in part because of the implications it would have on his PGA Tour future. Wyndham Clark, who also rejected LIV Golf, made similar criticisms of Koepka’s return last week.
He continued his criticism of the PGA Tour, saying, “We’re the players. The PGA Tour makes the decisions. It doesn’t matter what anyone says.”
Patrick Reed’s LIV outing is different from Koepka’s PGA Tour approach
Matsuyama’s comments to Golf Digest Japan came before news broke about another big change in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle. On Wednesday, Patrick Reed announced his departure from LIV Golf.
Although Matsuyama has not yet spoken about Reed’s return to the tour, Reed’s path back to the PGA Tour may suit the Masters champion.
Patrick Reed’s Bombshell LIV Travel: How, Why and What’s Next?
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Dylan Dethier
Reed will be eligible to begin playing in PGA Tour events in August of this year, one year after his last LIV debut at LIV Golf Indianapolis in August 2025. He will be eligible to earn full status for the 2027 PGA Tour season.
That means in August the 2018 Masters champion can receive a sponsor’s exemption to play in PGA Tour events for the remainder of the season, or compete as a past champion.
Reed also plans to play the DP World Tour this year. If he finishes in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai season-long standings, he will earn a full PGA Tour card for 2027. His big win at the Dubai Desert Classic last week will go a long way towards achieving that goal.
He has already qualified for all four majors in 2026 thanks to his third-place finish at the Masters last year.
3 other LIV Golf pros have been reinstated to the PGA Tour
Later Wednesday, the PGA Tour announced that three other former LIV Golf players have been reinstated to the PGA Tour. Those players Kevin Na, Pat Perez again Hudson Swafford.
The circumstances of their PGA Tour comebacks are not the same, but they follow Reed’s closer than Koepka’s.
All three players have “constant disciplinary infractions” to deal with following their reinstatement.
Swafford and Perez, both three-time PGA Tour winners, will be suspended for one year and allowed to play in PGA Tour-sanctioned events starting January 1, 2027. Perez, who turns 50 in March, has his sights set on the PGA Tour Champions ring.
As for Na, it is not clear when she will get the green light to play on tour again. According to the PGA Tour, he is currently facing disciplinary action.
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