The upcoming Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines is Brooks Koepka‘s homecoming. His return has had mixed reactions from the community, so it’s hard to say who will welcome him at the $9.6 million event and who will not, but Billy Horschel definitely belongs to the former category.

The PGA Tour posted a snippet from practice at the driving range where Koepka and Horschel greeted each other, laughing. The former LIV golfer has returned to the Tour after bearing fines and penalties worth $85 million, all because of the Returning Member Program. This will be his first event on the Tour since March 2022.

A week after Brooks Koepka left LIV, Billy Horschel voiced his concern on December 30th, 2025. He mentioned that after Koepka, this pattern may continue, as many golfers would feel that they have made a lot of money and now would like to compete in “real championships.”

“At the very beginning, I was on the side of there needing to be some punishment for these guys,” he said. “And now I’m on the side that I think is for the betterment of the game, for the quality of the PGA Tour product to continue to grow. Selfishly, having an equity stake in the PGA Tour now and bringing Brooks back does add value. So I think there needs to be a process to figure out what [brings] these guys back,” the 8x PGA Tour winner explained.

Not just Horschel, but even the broadcasters know how valuable Koepka’s return is.

ESPN will show more live coverage of the first two rounds of the tournament on its main network. This is a rare move, marking the first time in almost 20 years that a non-major PGA Tour event will be shown live on ESPN’s linear channel. Usually, the early rounds of regular PGA Tour events are streamed or shown on secondary channels. However, this week’s lineup puts Koepka front and center from the start, with coverage on Hulu and Disney+.

Moreover, the different POVs of other Tour pros are just as important for understanding the meaning of Horschel’s greeting.

Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, wasn’t okay with Koepka’s return. Clark said he was “torn” about the situation. He likes Koepka and thinks his return will help the PGA Tour, but he also thinks it’s “kind of frustrating” that the 35-year-old seems to benefit from leaving and coming back with few consequences.

Looking at the competition side, Brooks Koepka absolutely has to be the best. He will be playing alongside stars like Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Keegan Bradley, Harris English, Xander Schauffele, and Jason Day, and has a chance to end up in the top 50 golfers worldwide if he finishes in the top 10 on the leaderboard.

While the media breaks down Horschel and Koepka greeting each other, the fandom admired the moment.

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Brooks Koepka and Horschel’s moment resonated with fans

One fan commented, “Can’t wait to see him play on the PGA again,” while the other wrote, “Other than winning a major, that’s the happiest I think I’ve ever seen Brooks.”

Koepka’s five major championships include two U.S. Opens (2017, 2018) and three PGA Championships (2018, 2019, 2023), defining his legacy as one of his generation’s fiercest competitors. Seeing him visibly joyful upon returning to the tour he grew up dreaming about resonated deeply with supporters.

“Love to see it. Nothing better than getting back into rhythm,” one fan wrote.

Though Koepka earned 5 wins on LIV Golf, his 2025 was not satisfactory. His best finish all season was T2 in Singapore. He missed 2 cuts in majors, as well.

“Instant smile when leaving @livgolf_league INSTANT.” While humorous, the reaction reflects a broader context in the golf community: Koepka left LIV Golf to prioritize family and full PGA competition. In his announcement, he said returning to the PGA Tour was a fulfillment of a childhood dream he still felt excited about.

And then came a playful reference to both golfers’ universities. “A gator hugging a Nole. Who would’ve thought! In all seriousness, I think everybody is pleased that Brooks is back!” Well, Billy Horschel (University of Florida “Gator”) and Koepka (Florida State “Nole”) speak to the broader mood among many fans: that even amidst past acrimony between tours, the sport feels more unified and competitive again with Koepka’s return.

Are you looking forward to seeing Brooks Koepka compete on the PGA Tour again?