Brooks Koepka to make DP World Tour return at ‘favourite course in the world’

Brooks Koepka will make his long-awaited return to DP World Tour action next month.  

Florida-born Koepka is well versed in golf on this side of the Atlantic.

Having turned pro, he spent the first two years of his career on the second-tier Challenge Tour, winning the Challenge de Catalunya, Montecchia Open, Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana and Scottish Hydro Challenge at Spey Valley.

He made the step up to the European Tour for the 2014 season, winning the Turkish Airlines Open – then a Race to Dubai Final Series event – before finishing eighth in that year’s Order of Merit and going on to earn a PGA Tour card for the following season.

But the five-time major champion, who now plies his trade with LIV Golf, hasn’t played in a regular event on the European circuit since February 2020, when he teed up in the Saudi Invitational at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in the King Abdullah Economic City.

Since then, his only appearances in DP World Tour-sanctioned events have come in the majors and the now defunct World Golf Championships.

It seems, though, Koepka couldn’t resist the lure of a return to the Home of Golf for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the annual pro-am which takes place over St Andrews’ famed Old Course, as well as Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

“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 to my year,” Koepka said, according to the tournament’s official website.

“The atmosphere on and off the course at the Dunhill is fantastic. I was able to play with my father one year and my good friend and caddie, Ricky Elliott, another. Those two weeks will always be very special to me.

“I love Links golf and St Andrews is my favourite course in the world. I could play there every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.”

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Another player returning to DP World Tour action after the LIV season concludes is Adrian Meronk.

“It was great to see Tyrrell Hatton play at The Belfry and there seems to be plenty of noise – on both the ranges at LIV Golf and in the media – about more players from both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour playing some end-of-season events on the DP World Tour,” he told Gulf News.

“My schedule is to defend my Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters title at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande at the end of October, before playing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“Since I’m a Dubai resident, I’m excited to return to Dubai and the UAE in November to reconnect with all my friends.”

The question is, will their LIV Golf colleague Jon Rahm also sign up as he looks to end speculation about his Ryder Cup future?

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor