The PGA Tour’s decision to adjust its rules to allow Brooks Koepka a quick return after his LIV Golf stint was hardly a shock.
Bringing him back into the fold made too much sense for Brian Rolapp. Koepka, a five-time major winner, has carved out one of the more distinct careers in modern golf.
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Whether he can get back to his very best is still an open question. But no matter what shape he is in, you would be foolish to dismiss him when the stakes are high.
What appears to be a significant uplift for the PGA Tour is the growing likelihood that the next Koepka may have been discovered.
The next Brooks Koepka may be emerging on the PGA Tour
Photo by Rich Storry/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images
Even though Chris Gotterup already had a 2026 PGA Tour win under his belt, expectations were still modest ahead of the WM Phoenix Open’s opening round.
His playing partners at TPC Scottsdale were Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler, of course, had won the event twice previously.
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Spieth put together a solid round, but it was Gotterup who stood out, making an early climb up the leaderboard.
This was not new territory for Gotterup. He is used to being noticed alongside big names and has even beaten them before.
Gotterup reached a new level after securing victory at the Scottish Open. On the final day at The Renaissance Club, the American golfer started tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy, a previous champion of the event.
He has gone up against both McIlroy and Scheffler now – two of this era’s top players – and has come out on top each time.
The sample size is still small, but there are clear similarities in how the 26-year-old and Koepka rose to prominence by shining brightest when it mattered most.
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How Chris Gotterup stacks up to Brooks Koepka with a few standout performances already behind him
After his win in Scotland, Gotterup followed it up with an impressive showing at the Open Championship, finishing third on his debut at Royal Portrush.
The 26-year-old carries himself with a confidence that can be easily misunderstood, and the comparisons do not stop there. Both players also sport Nike gear on the course, adding to the similarities.
Much like Koepka in his prime, Gotterup’s power off the tee stands out as his main weapon. In 2025, he ranked ninth in strokes gained off the tee during a season that took him a while to find form.
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It is interesting to note that Koepka held the same ranking back in 2018 – a year when he claimed both the US Open and PGA Championship titles.
And given how streaky Gotterup can be with the putter – gaining 1.27 shots per round at the Sony Open in Hawaii before losing 0.68 per round at Farmers Insurance Open according to Data Golf – it would not be shocking if he was following a similar path to Koepka.
No one else regularly playing on tour has surpassed the five major trophies mark yet. But there is definitely something special about Gotterup that sets him apart from others.
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