PGA Tour veteran Hideki Matsuyama got his season off to a strong 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 doesn’t have any problems with Koepka personally, he does have a problem with the PGA Tour for allowing Koepka to return from LIV Golf, at least in the manner in which he did.
Matsuyama shared his criticism of Koepka’s speedy Tour return in a new interview with Golf Digest Japan.
Hideki Matsuyama questions PGA Tour over Koepka comeback
Koepka was permitted to return to the PGA Tour via the newly-created Returning Member Program. The program has specific rules allowing an accelerated PGA Tour return for specific high-profile LIV golfers.
Only Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith fit those criteria. With the window to take the deal closing on February 2, Koepka is the only one who has accepted it (though Patrick Reed’s LIV departure could inspire others to follow Koepka’s lead).
Even Koepka admitted he was surprised by how quickly everything came together after he split with LIV in late December. Typically, former PGA Tour players who joined LIV would have to serve a one-year suspension when reapplying to the Tour.
That’s why the Koepka news came as a surprise to Matsuyama, as he revealed in his interview with Golf Digest Japan.
“I was shocked when I heard about it in the news… I thought, ‘Oh, he’s coming back…’ I guess they took that measure because he had achieved results at LIV,” Matsuyama said in translated comments.
Matsuyama displayed no animosity toward Koepka, saying of his LIV exit, “I think it’s pretty amazing that Brooks had the courage to make that decision.”
However, Matsuyama also revealed that he was “puzzled” by the situation, especially the lack of communication from the PGA Tour about the Returning Member Program.
“But I’m puzzled that the PGA Tour didn’t explain anything to the players. At the very least, I didn’t know that such a rule was in place,” he said.
He then explained his confusion about why Koepka was allowed to circumvent the one-year ban for playing on LIV Golf.
“While there has been a financial hit, what about the non-monetary aspects? What happened to the rule that players who participated in LIV were not allowed to compete [on the PGA Tour] for a year?” Matsuyama said. “That’s what I’m thinking about more.”
The issue is somewhat personal for Matsuyama, who turned down a lucrative offer from LIV Golf in 2022, in part because of the consequences it would have on his PGA Tour future. Wyndham Clark, who also turned down a LIV Golf offer, made a similar criticism of Koepka’s return last week.
He continued his criticism of the PGA Tour, saying, “We are the players, after all. The PGA Tour makes the decisions. It doesn’t matter what anyone says.”
Patrick Reed LIV exit differs from Koepka’s PGA Tour path
Matsuyama’s comments to Golf Digest Japan came before news broke about another monumental shift in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle. On Wednesday, Patrick Reed announced he would leave LIV Golf as well.
While Matsuyama has yet to speak on Reed’s potential Tour return, Reed’s path back to the PGA Tour might be more agreeable to the Masters champ.
Reed will be allowed to start playing in PGA Tour events in August of this year, one year after his last LIV start at LIV Golf Indianapolis in August 2025. He will be eligible to earn full status for the 2027 PGA Tour season.
That means by August the 2018 Masters champion can accept sponsor’s exemptions 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 season-long Race to Dubai standings, he’ll earn a full PGA Tour card for 2027. His big win at the Dubai Desert Classic last week will go a long way in achieveing that goal.
He is also already qualified for all four major championships in 2026 thanks to his third-place finish at the Masters last year.
3 more LIV Golf pros reinstated to PGA Tour
Later on Wednesday, the PGA Tour announced that three other former LIV Golf players had been reinstated to the PGA Tour. Those players are Kevin Na, Pat Perez and Hudson Swafford.
The conditions of their PGA Tour returns are not all the same, but they follow Reed’s more closely than Koepka’s.
All three players have “outstanding disciplinary violations” to address following their reinstatements.
Swafford and Perez, both three-time PGA Tour winners, will serve a one-year suspension and then be permitted to play in PGA Tour-sanctioned events starting January 1, 2027. Perez, who turns 50 years old in March, has eyes on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
As for Na, it’s not clear when he will get the green light to play in Tour events again. According to the PGA Tour, he’s currently facing disciplinary action.
