tag

Brooks Koepka, a five-time major winner who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 but quit the Saudi-backed series last month, has applied for PGA reinstatement, ESPN and Golf Channel reported.The 35-year-old American, a nine-time PGA Tour champion and five-time LIV winner, departed LIV with a year remaining on his contract, but it was unclear when he might be allowed to return to the PGA Tour, according to the reports.ESPN reported that the PGA Tour will begin a reinstatement and disciplinary process that includes input from players on the board of directors.Koepka, a two-time US Open champion and three-time PGA Championship winner, has not competed in a PGA Tour event since the Valspar Championship in March 2022.After jumping to LIV Golf, Koepka became the first active LIV golfer to win a major title when he captured the 2023 PGA at Oak Hill, which has made him eligible to compete in all four majors this year.Koepka won the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock, where this year's US Open will be contested in June.The PGA Tour ban on Koepka did not keep him from playing for the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil said in December that Koepka and LIV "mutually agreed" to his departure.Koepka won LIV titles in 2022 at Jeddah, 2023 in Orlando and Jeddah and 2024 at Singapore and Greenbrier.Since leaving the PGA Tour, Koepka has not been critical of the tour and was not among players who filed a lawsuit against the tour over its ban of defectors to LIV from its tour events."Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional and we wish him and his family continued success," the PGA Tour said in a statement when the Koepka-LIV split was announced.Another LIV star, two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, is not signed with LIV Golf beyond the 2026 season.DeChambeau won the 2020 US Open and became the second active LIV player to win a major when he captured the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.DeChambeau has won nine times of the PGA Tour and three times in LIV Golf, including last year's South Korea event.Rory McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning last year's Masters, spoke on the subject of players returning to the PGA Tour from LIV in the "Stick to Football" podcast."They've made the money, but they've paid their consequence in terms of the reputation and some of the things they've lost by going over there," McIlroy said of PGA defectors to LIV."If it made the overall tour stronger to have Bryson DeChambeau back and whoever else, I would be OK with it. But again, it's not just me and I recognize that not everyone is in my position. It would be up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision."Asked about the issue, two-time major winner Xander Schauffele said, "It's going to be hard to make everybody happy, I can answer that." 

Justin Leonard delivered an electrifying finish to open the PGA Tour Champions postseason.The 53-year-old rolled in an eagle on the par-5 18th at The Country Club of Virginia on Sunday, capping a 4-under-par 68 to win the Dominion Energy Charity Classic at 12 under. Leonard edged South Africa's Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark by one stroke, securing his second victory of the season to go with February's Chubb Classic win."I've been on this nice run here the last three or four months and I've had some chances to win and played some pretty good golf," Leonard said after the win. "Maybe not my best golf through it, but today was really special on a really special golf course."Leonard's closing heroics flipped a leaderboard long controlled by Els. The Hall of Famer began the day in front and was still tied for the lead late before a bogey at the par-4 17th dropped him to 11 under. Needing birdie on 18 to force a playoff, Els' putt stayed on the high side of the cup, leaving Leonard's eagle as the tournament winner. Els signed for an even-par 72 and Bjorn matched Leonard's 4-under 68 to share runner-up honors."I feel for Ernie," Leonard said. "Golly, he's played so good. It feels like he could have won 12 tournaments this year. Fortunately, today was just my day."After going bogey-free in each of the first two rounds, Els had three bogeys and three birdies in Sunday's final round. He said that he found the wind difficult, admitting it played a big part in his finish to the round."Yeah, I played good. It was very tough conditions today," Els said. "Got totally screwed on 17 and 18, that was the breaks I got. Hey, listen, we played good and came up short again, so disappointing. Got to keep going."The win vaults Leonard up eight spots to ninth in the Charles Schwab Cup standings as the three-event playoffs move to the Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Ark. Only the top 54 in the standings advanced on Sunday. Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Stewart Cink remain in the top two spots in the standings, while Els jumped up a spot to third with his performance.Scott Parel snuck in with a tie for 21st place, bumping David Bransdon out of the postseason. After next week, the field will be trimmed again, down to 36, for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.