The PGA Tour’s decision to adjust the rules to allow Brooks Koepka to quickly return from his stint in LIV Golf was no shock.
For Brian Rolup, bringing him back into the team made a lot of sense. Koepka, a five-time major champion, has carved out one of the most distinguished careers in modern golf.
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Whether he can return to his best form is still an open question. But no matter what condition he is in, it would be foolish to fire him when the risk is high.
What appears to be a big change for the PGA Tour is that the chances of finding the next Koepka are increasing.
The next Brooks Koepka could be on the PGA Tour
Photo by Rich Story/TGL/TGL Golf, Getty Images
Even though Chris Gotterup had already clinched a 2026 PGA Tour win, expectations were still modest ahead of the opening round of the WM Phoenix Open.
His playing partners at TPC Scottsdale were Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler. Of course, Scheffler had won this event twice before.
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Spieth put together a solid round, but it was Gottharp who stood out, quickly climbing up the leaderboard.
This was not new territory for Gotterup. He is used to being in the spotlight alongside big names and has even beaten them before.
Gottarup reached a new level after winning the Scottish Open. On the final day at the Renaissance Club, the American golfer started tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy, the tournament’s defending champion.
He has now faced both McIlroy and Scheffler, two of the top fighters of this era, and has come out on top each time.
It’s still a small sample size, but there are clear similarities in how the 26-year-old and Koepka rose to prominence, shining brightest when it mattered most.
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How Chris Gottharp, who has already had some standout performances, stacks up against Brooks Koepka
After his victory in Scotland, Gotterup also had an impressive performance at the British Open Championship, finishing third on his debut at Royal Portrush.
The 26-year-old has a confidence that can be easily misunderstood, but the comparisons don’t stop there. Adding to the similarities is that both players wear Nike gear on the course.
Like Koepka in his prime, Gotterp’s power off the tee stands out as his primary weapon. In 2025, during a season that took him a while to find his groove, he ranked ninth in strokes gained off the tee.
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Interestingly, Koepka held the same ranking in 2018, when he won both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship titles.
And given how streaky Gotterup is with his putter — he won 1.27 shots per round at the Sony Open in Hawaii and lost 0.68 shots per round at the Farmers Insurance Open, according to Data Golf — it wouldn’t be surprising if he followed a similar path to Koepka.
No player who plays regularly on tour has yet surpassed the five-trophy mark. But there’s definitely something special about Gottharp that sets him apart from the rest.
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