Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour after his departure from LIV Golf didn’t live up to the hype. He wasn’t afraid to own up to his disappointment on Sunday after shooting a final-round even-par 70 at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, to finish T-67 at the Wyndham Championship. It was the type of pedestrian performance that happened way too frequently for a five-time major champion. He’s off for at least the next three weeks after a four-putt double-bogey at 18 that was symbolic of his putting woes all season.
“I don’t know what the deal is, got zero confidence, can’t putt,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of changes here soon.”
May 21, 2026; McKinney, Texas, USA; Brooks Koepka waits to putt on the ninth green during the first round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Koepka, 36, made 16 starts this season on the Tour after being the lone player to accept the Tour’s Returning Member Program offer. He made 11 cuts but never threatened to collect his first Tour title since 2023 and 10th of his career. He recorded just one top-10 finish, a back-door T-9 thanks to a final-round 65 at the Cognizant Classic on March 1. He was a non-factor in the majors, finishing T-12 at the Masters, T-55 at the PGA Championship, missing the cut at the U.S. Open and T-28 at the British Open.
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Koepka wasn’t allowed to receive sponsor’s exemptions into signature events and failed to play his way into any of them – the closest he came was first alternate at the Cadillac Championship and RBC Heritage. Still, Koepka didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment that he ranked 94th in the season-long FedEx Cup standings, failing to crack the top 70 and missing the playoffs.
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“I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can’t get through,” said Koepka, noting he intended to play some DP World Tour events this fall and perhaps a bit in the FedEx Cup Fall later this season. “To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing. Just need to go home and completely reevaluate everything.”
While poor putting – he ranked No. 123 in Strokes Gained: Putting – surely contributed to his lackluster season, it wasn’t the only area demanding improvement. Koepka ranked 143rd in driving accuracy and 138th in sand save percentage.
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If there was a silver lining for Koepka, he expressed no regrets about returning to the Tour.
“The reception’s been great,” he said. “Overall happiness is 10 out of 10 and just excited.”
Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Brooks Koepka calls his performance in PGA Tour return ‘pathetic’
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