Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka doesn’t often get nervous, but he expressed it Tuesday when he spoke to the media in La Jolla, Calif., ahead of his return to the PGA Tour. With the difficult part out of the way, Koepka was able to focus solely on golf, signing the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open with an opening 1-over 73 on Thursday.
“(I was nervous) just because I care,” Koepka said. “I think I’ve fallen in love with this game all over again, and to be honest, I’d love to see my son play a little bit and watch him watch me. Or maybe I’d like my son to see me play well and realize how much this game has given me, how much fun it is, how cool it is to be here.”
Koepka’s score puts him 11 strokes behind first-round leader Justin Rose, who shot an impressive 10-under 62 on the North Course at Torrey Pines. Like Koepka, Sheamus Power finished last among players who played the more difficult South Course with a 7-under 65. Power and Koepka will face a less severe test on Friday, as the North Course was more than three strokes easier than the South Course in the round. 1.
Koepka’s return not only marks his first start on the PGA Tour (excluding major championships) since the WGC vs. Dell Technologies Match Play in 2022, but Thursday marked his first competitive appearance since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in early October 2025. Therefore, playing alongside the likes of Max Homa and Ludwig Oberg, some rust was inevitable.
“It felt pretty good,” Koepka said. “I hit it really well. I didn’t hit the fairway enough. If I could get it behind the ball, I felt like I hit a quality shot. I didn’t really make any putts there other than the 18 putt. Yeah, it felt good. It’s been a while since I played competitive golf, so I like the way I’m playing. I just have to play my way.”
For Koepka, he failed to record a single birdie despite performing well off the tee and on the greens as he struggled to find consistent position in the short grass. The 35-year-old started with a sweet swing to the par-4 first, but left 10 feet on his approach and was unlikely to make the first birdie.
Koepka hit the required first four greens with a right-handed tee shot, and needed three putts to make bogey on the coastal par-4 fourth from just about 50 feet. Despite missing a chance on the easily accessible par-5 sixth, Koepka found himself on the par train as he finished the turn with one over.
He successfully navigated a difficult section of the golf course unscathed and arrived at the par-5 13th with a chance to get back even. Koepka hit a fairway wood from the rough and missed the green, but his third shot landed far from the green, resulting in an unlucky break and a difficult up-and-down situation. Koepka was unable to save par and fell to 2 over.
The bogey may have added another spot to Koepka’s scorecard, but what followed was a smooth, compact swing. Koepka split the final two fairways and four greens in regulation. His second shot, a par-5, hit the green with great force and he took another difficult scramble opportunity to get back to 1 over.
All in all, Koepka wasn’t that far off. He had to be defensive on most birdie putts because he looked off the top of the hole. Breaks didn’t always bounce back either. As the rounds progressed, he settled into his rounds. He was patient and remained calm. The good news is that things will get easier from here on out. He’ll be playing on the Nordschleife on Friday, and the noise surrounding his return should die down.
“(I’m) grateful for everything,” Koepka said. “The chance to be out here. I think that’s the most important thing. Just coming out here and seeing how quickly everything came together was kind of amazing. I’m just grateful to have the chance to go out here and compete against these guys.”
Rose rises to the occasion at Nordschleife
A timeless wonder! Rose made 10 birdies late on Thursday, rocketing up the leaderboard and taking the sole lead in the first round. The 45-year-old is used to strong early results at the Farmers Insurance Open, having started the 2019 tournament with a 63. He ended up winning that tournament and appears to be hoping to do the same just seven starts after his last win at the St. Jude Championship in the FedEx Cup Playoffs last summer.
