Sure, Brooks Koepka didn’t win the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open and struggled on the greens. But no one can deny the remarkable effort he put in to make the cut on his PGA Tour return. And when CBS Sports‘ reporter Amanda Balionis praised the five-time major champion, it wasn’t just about his performance.

Amanda Balionis took to Instagram after the event wrapped up at Torrey Pines, sharing her thoughts on the tournament in which 45-year-old Justin Rose made history. But it was her words about Koepka that stood out: “We also had the pleasure to welcome @bkoepka back to the PGA TOUR. He embraced all of the questions and requests with grace, and the fans embraced him in a special way.”

Her post captured what many noticed throughout the week: that Koepka wasn’t hiding from tough conversations. This was his first PGA Tour event in nearly three years after leaving for LIV Golf in 2022.

However, the 35-year-old didn’t deliver the fairytale comeback performance many hoped for.

He opened with a one-over 73 on Torrey Pines’ South Course, hitting just six of fourteen fairways. The North Course treated him better; a four-under 68 with three birdies and an eagle pushed him to three-under for the tournament, making the cut on the number. Saturday brought another 73 on the South Course. When he made the cut on Friday, he sat 14 strokes behind leader Justin Rose, who had posted a blistering 17-under through 36 holes.

Despite missing more than six shots to the field on the greens, Koepka grinded through all four rounds at a course where he’d previously missed the cut twice.

But what separated Brooks Koepka was his willingness to address his shortcomings head-on. He didn’t make excuses about the Poa annua greens at Torrey Pines, though he’s historically struggled on them compared to Bermuda grass surfaces.

“I think that was important,” Koepka said after his second round. “Played really solid today. Drove it a lot better. Putting, I feel like I hit a lot of great putts, they just didn’t go in.”

He acknowledged feeling conservative on the greens, admitting he was “all over the lip” throughout the tournament.

The turning point came when he stood 55 feet from an eagle opportunity but walked away with a bogey after a costly three-putt from inside four feet. Another hole saw a missed short putt lead to a double bogey, completely erasing his momentum. Koepka owned these mistakes without deflection.

Moreover, this isn’t the first time Balionis has weighed in on golfers’ media obligations.

Eight months earlier, at the PGA Championship in May 2025, Rory McIlroy declined to speak with reporters for four consecutive days after struggling at Quail Hollow. At the time, Balionis responded, “Appreciate these two for taking the time to talk after a gutting loss. Simply a reminder that no one is obligated to talk, it’s a choice.”

The contrast between McIlroy’s media avoidance and Koepka’s openness couldn’t be starker.

However, beyond the media praise, something else stood out about Koepka’s week at Torrey Pines. His entire approach to competition had fundamentally changed.

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A return marked by honesty: Brooks Koepka’s week beyond the rounds

Trevor Immelman, a CBS analyst, saw something strange during Saturday’s broadcast. Brooks Koepka seemed more emotional than he ever had before. The 35-year-old, who was known for his stone-cold focus, was showing signs of weakness.

Koepka said before the tournament that he was worried about how people would react to him. That’s not something that usually happens to someone who has won major tournaments with ice in their veins. Fans and players were very nice to him, which surprised him. His press conference before the tournament made it clear that the real reason he left LIV Golf was that he wanted to be closer to his family, not because he was guaranteed money.

His putting let him down all week, but Brooks Koepka never tried to hide why. He said the Poa annua greens were slower than he expected, and that he played too safely with the flat stick. He said he needed two days to think about the problems with the WM Phoenix Open next week.

The biggest change wasn’t in his mechanics, but in his mindset; Koepka said he had ‘fallen back in love’ with the game, which would have seemed impossible during his time with LIV. Having a young son also changed his priorities. Going through four hard rounds at Torrey Pines, missing putts, and answering hard questions afterward meant more than just the tournament results.