Brooks Koepka, the man who once made winning majors look routine, is now facing a brutal new reality of missed cuts and a free-falling world ranking. He now sits at 257th in the world ranking and is drawing more attention than his trophies ever did. His recent commitment solidifies the fact.
Koepka is returning to the Texas Children’s Houston Open for the first time since 2021, a tournament held on a course he helped redesign in 2019 but has never conquered, adding another layer of pressure to his comeback attempt. It will be held from March 26 to 29 at Memorial Park Golf Course, offering a $9.9 million purse. This will be his first start here since 2021.
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Since returning to the PGA Tour via the Returning Member Program, Koepka has a T-56 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open, where a first round of 75 couldn’t be salvaged by a second round of 69. He now sits 257th in the OWGR, having dropped from No. 19 when he first joined LIV Golf in 2022 to 244th by the end of 2025. The trajectory is hard to ignore, more so when you compare it with the rise of golfers such as Anthony Kim.
Kim, who hadn’t won in 16 years, captured the LIV Golf Adelaide event and jumped 244 spots to sit at 203rd in the OWGR, leapfrogging Koepka in the process. All thanks to the 23 OWGR points he earned. The contrast didn’t go unnoticed in the golf world.
As of now, his next scheduled start is the Cognizant Classic from February 26 to March 1. After Houston, the 5x major winner is eligible for The Masters, scheduled from April 9 to 12.
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Rickie Fowler and defending champion Min Woo Lee are also in the Houston Open field. Other marquee names include two-time 2026 winner Chris Gotterup, No. 26-ranked Si Woo Kim, Gary Woodland, Sungjae Im, and Will Zalatoris. But it was Brooks Koepka’s name that quickly became a lightning rod for fan criticism.
Brooks Koepka’s return draws mockery online
“He’s in love with the game but can’t make a cut,” said a fan, hinting at what went down in Phoenix.
“Another missed cut. Glad he found his love for the game again,” read another reaction.
Another said, “WOW, CRYBABY BROOKS KOEPKA is playing?? Who cares? The guy is complete doo-doo. 234th in the world and the biggest crybaby in SPORTS! Congrats!!!”
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Dropping from No. 19 in 2022 to outside the top 250 by early 2026 has made it difficult for even casual observers to take his comeback seriously. While Koepka cited family for his move away from LIV, his well-known focus on major championships has led many to believe this is his reason for pursuing the PGA Tour.
A user commented, “With a strong showing, Brooks could move closer to Anthony Kim in the OWGR.”
Kim, once golf’s great cautionary tale, won at LIV Golf Adelaide and climbed 244 spots to 203rd in the OWGR, passing Koepka in the process. If Koepka does well in Houston, he will surely be able to edge out Kim again.
“Brooks back on the PGA Tour is the redemption arc golf needed. Houston is about to be electric,” was another reaction.
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While everyone was skeptical of the move, this fan showed excitement for Brooksie to be in Houston.
Whether Koepka’s Houston start turns into a genuine turning point or another missed cut, the noise around his return shows no signs of quieting. The results will do the talking, and so far, they’ve given the critics plenty of material.
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