Brooks Koepka set to venture away from LIV Golf after lining up Tour return

Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion and LIV Golf star, is set to return to the DP World Tour next month. Koepka has committed to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, marking his first appearance on the tour since signing with LIV Golf in 2022. Since joining the Saudi-backed league, Koepka has primarily competed in LIV events, with a few appearances on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour. His involvement with LIV led to a ban from the PGA Tour, and he has not participated in any PGA events since.

Despite forfeiting his DP World Tour membership, Koepka is eligible to play in Scotland via a sponsor invitation. The tournament, which runs from October 3, will be held across three of Scotland’s most iconic courses: the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

In a statement, Koepka expressed his enthusiasm for the event: “I’ve been fortunate to play in several Dunhill Links, as well as two Open Championships at St Andrews over the years, and these trips are always highlights of my year. I love Links golf, and St Andrews is my favorite course in the world. I could play there every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it… The atmosphere on and off the course at the Dunhill is fantastic.”

Koepka also reminisced about past experiences at the Dunhill Links, recalling the time he played alongside his father and another year with his caddie and close friend, Ricky Elliott. These moments, he noted, are “very special” to him.

The event will feature a star-studded field, including Rory McIlroy, with whom Koepka has had a complicated relationship due to the divide between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. The two will face off again at the Dunhill Links, marking their second competition in three months. Following the Scottish event, they are set to reunite for a PGA Tour vs. LIV showdown in Las Vegas, where McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will take on Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Koepka won’t be the only LIV Golf player competing in Scotland. Tyrrell Hatton, a two-time Dunhill Links champion (2016, 2017), is also in the field. Hatton’s participation in the DP World Tour event is crucial for maintaining his membership and Ryder Cup eligibility. The English golfer needs to play in four DP World Tour events this year, and he has so far participated in two – the Dubai Desert Classic and the British Masters.

Hatton has also committed to the Spanish Open at the end of September, followed by the Dunhill Links, as he aims to qualify for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in November.