AUGUSTA, Ga. — Past Masters winner Tom Watson, after hitting his ceremonial tee shot as one of the honorary starters Thursday morning, took a shot at the PGA Tour for allowing such an easy pathway for Brooks Koepka to return after he left LIV Golf.
“The Tour made a decision to renege on what they promised when the players left for LIV,’’ Watson said. “They felt that the compensation that he’s paid is good enough. I thought the LIV players, when they left, they were supposed to be banned for life.
Tom Watson didn’t hold back punches Thursday. AP “If I was commissioner, that’s what I would do. I’d say if you’re finished with your contract with LIV Golf, if you want to play the PGA Tour again, you come back, and you must play the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for it. They saw it differently.
“When the players left, they violated the No. 1 rule that we really had out here, which is to protect the sponsors.”
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and his staff created a one-time-only “Returning Member Program.”
It was also offered to Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, all of whom remain with LIV Golf.
Brooks Koepka returned to teh PGA Tour after leaving for LIV Golf. Getty Images Patrick Reed, who was not eligible for that program the way it was designed, is on a path back to the PGA Tour after serving a one-year suspension.
As for Koepka, Watson’s belief is that the $5 million charitable donation that the PGA Tour required him to pay wasn’t punishment enough, and that the ban should have been in place.
