Sports
Brooks Koepka nervous, excited for 'fresh start' on PGA Tour
Dec 18, 2025; Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA; Brooks Koepka on the 5th hole at The Old White at the Greenbrier. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Brooks Koepka had the guile to win nine times on the PGA Tour and the savvy to win five major tournaments and yet it was a chair and a microphone Tuesday that brought the nerves of an 8-foot putt at 18 on Sunday with the trophy on the line.
Mostly straight-faced and humble, Koepka admitted that he still is not sure how his presence in PGA Tour events after four years with LIV Golf will be received, but the text messages and in-person well wishes have been reassuring.
And yet there is the presence of those around the game he does not know as well that has Koepka on edge the most.
Tuesday’s press conference ahead of Koepka’s return event, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif., brought apprehension.
Another moment of uncertainty arrives Thursday when Koepka plays in front of a gallery during the first round.
“Maybe I’m a little nervous about that as well just to see how, I guess, how the fans respond to it,” Koepka said, after his return was announced earlier this month. “I hope that they’re excited. I hope that they’re happy that I’m out here. You know, hopefully that goes, at least like the conversations I’ve had with players that they’re excited that I’m back and happy to see me play.”
Swinging his clubs, for what he hopes is four rounds on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean might be the easiest part of Koepka’s week.
Unlike his time at LIV, when he was on a reported $100 million contract that was in addition to any prize money he earned, his play from week-to-week on the PGA Tour will make a difference. Koepka will have to earn his way into the tour’s signature events like Pebble Beach and The Genesis in Los Angeles, both next month.
For now, he is committed to playing this week and next week at the WM Phoenix Open. On Tuesday, he added the Feb. 26-March 1 Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to his schedule.
“That’s the fun part, I love the grind, I’ve always enjoyed it,” said Koepka, who has a goal of winning at least one tournament this year. “I guess it’s a fresh start for me, which is cool. It’s just another chapter I guess in my book. I’m excited for that.
“I feel like my game’s in pretty good shape, and I want to see where it’s at. Obviously, this week is a little bit different. But yeah, I would just like to get this week over and just feel like I can start playing golf again. I’m super excited.”
Asked multiple times what inspired his move back to the PGA Tour now, with another year left on his LIV deal, Koepka, 35, said it was family related, without going into specifics.
He did say the impetus for a return started in September, around the time of the Ryder Cup. On Oct. 6, Koepka’s wife, Jenna Sims, revealed on social media she had a miscarriage.
“Circumstances kind of changed in my family a little bit,” Koepka said. “Then that’s when I guess things started to change and evolve and just started to have those conversations of what’s best for my family. So we took it from there. … (LIV) understood the situation that I was in.”
Koepka said his first call went to Tiger Woods about starting the process to play on the PGA Tour again. The next call went to commissioner Jay Monahan.
“I felt like Tiger was somebody that I’ve relied on in the past for questions and answers and how to deal with things and I felt like that was maybe the most comfortable call for me,” Koepka said.
The PGA Tour came up with a Returning Members Program that was revealed earlier this month and said that former tour members who have won a major tournament or The Players Championship since 2022 can return under further parameters.
It left Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith as the only players who could immediately return by a Feb. 2 deadline. DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith eventually reinforced their commitment to LIV.
Koepka has no regrets about the path he chose and said he has grown as a person following the birth of his son Crew, who will turn 3 in July.
His family will be in attendance in the San Diego area this week and again in the Phoenix area next week. Seeing consecutive tournaments while he was a member of LIV Golf would have been challenging for his family.
“I think as everybody in this room goes through phases in life and that’s kind of the phase I’m in now, is trying to make sure I set a good example for (Crew) and do what’s best for my family,” Koepka said.
On the course, he has inspiration from another competitor, who is also a new father.
“I know sometimes when your mind’s free, I think you look at Scottie (Scheffler) right now, sometimes it’s easier to go play golf and play your best,” Koepka said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals stave off Dodgers’ rally for 6th straight win
May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Jordan Walker slugged a two-run homer among his two hits and Michael McGreevy tossed six scoreless innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
McGreevy (2-2) allowed three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Ryne Stanek and lefty JoJo Romero each pitched a scoreless inning before the Dodgers scored two runs on four straight hits against righty Riley O’Brien in the ninth.
O’Brien recorded two quick outs before giving up back-to-back infield singles to Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez. Max Muncy and Andy Pages followed with RBI singles before O’Brien struck out pinch hitter Dalton Rushing for his ninth save.
Los Angeles lost its fourth straight game and has scored three or fewer runs in seven of its last 11 games.
St. Louis took a 3-0 lead on four hits in the third inning. Ivan Herrera hit a leadoff double against Roki Sasaki (1-3) and scored on Alec Burleson’s double to right field.
Walker followed with a two-run blast to left field. The 372-foot shot was Walker’s 10th homer of the season and second in his last three games.
The Dodgers had plenty of early traffic on the basepaths against McGreevy, but they were held scoreless while hitting into four double plays in the first five innings.
Los Angeles put two runners on with one out in the second inning before Pages struck out and Hyeseong Kim grounded out.
The pattern continued in the third inning, when Alex Freeland hit a leadoff single and second baseman JJ Wetherholt started a double play with a diving catch on Shohei Ohtani’s liner.
Sasaki gave up three runs on five hits with two walks over six innings. He retired the final 10 batters he faced and threw a career-high 104 pitches.
Stanek replaced right-hander McGreevy to begin the seventh inning and retired two batters before Hernandez singled and Muncy walked. Both were stranded when Pages struck out.
The Dodgers were held without a home run for the fifth straight game and have hit a total of three homers in their past 11 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Saba Lobjanidze's brace sparks Atlanta over Montreal
May 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze (11) reacts to his goal against the CF Montréal in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Saba Lobjanidze scored a brace and Emmanuel Latte Lath netted the match-winner late in the first half as Atlanta United defeated visiting CF Montreal 3-1 on Saturday evening.
Alexey Miranchuk had two assists while Pedro Amador and Cooper Sanchez added an assist apiece for Atlanta (3-7-1, 10 points), which won its third straight match across all competitions and second straight in MLS play. It also snapped a four-match home winless streak (0-3-1).
Montreal (3-7-0, 9 points) saw a two-match win streak come to an end while its road losing streak reached four. It also finished the match with 10 men after Brayan Vera received a red card in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Latte Lath put Atlanta ahead in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time thanks to an interception by Sanchez. The Ivorian striker played a ball forward to Miranchuk, then scored on Miranchuk’s return pass to make it 2-1.
Lobjanidze upped Atlanta United’s lead to 3-1 in the 50th minute, scoring off Sanchez’s assist.
Atlanta equalized in the 41st minute with Lobjanidze’s first goal of the year. After receiving a pass from Miranchuk, Lobjanidze’s shot deflected off Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier’s hand and trickled past the goal line, tying the match at 1-1.
Matty Longstaff scored Montreal’s lone goal of the evening in the sixth minute.
Lucas Hoyos finished the evening with four saves. Gillier stopped two Atlanta shots.
Atlanta United won back-to-back MLS regular-season matches for the first time since May 24 and 28, 2025. They have outscored opponents 7-2 during their win streak.
Montreal lost for the first time under interim head coach Phillipe Eullafroy.
Miranchuk has two goals and two assists in his last three matches across all competitions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Late penalty extends New England's unbeaten streak vs. Charlotte
May 2, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Luca Langoni (41) dribbles the ball against Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani (28) in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images Carles Gil’s 97th-minute penalty kick lifted the New England Revolution to a tense 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass.
The Revolution (6-3-1, 19 points) broke through during stoppage time after several minutes marked by defensive gridlock. The win extends the Revs’ unbeaten streak to six league games.
Matt Turner made three saves and kept a clean sheet for the Revolution, who outshot Charlotte (4-5-2, 14 points) 14-7. Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves.
The Revs faced late drama when Charlotte’s Brandt Bronico was called for a handball in the box in the dying minutes of stoppage time, and the referee failed to call an advantage on the play, which would’ve counted Diego Fagundez’s goal.
However, Gil calmly sent Kahlina the wrong way and scored the ensuing penalty to give the Revs the late winner. The goal is Gil’s third of the season.
Charlotte manager Dean Smith has faced many questions about his team’s misfiring offense, and they remain unanswered. The team’s usually prolific offense struggled to create chances in the final third, and when they did, they failed to convert.
Charlotte’s biggest chance of the first half came when Idan Toklomati received the ball just 16 yards away from the goal with a clear shot. However, Toklomati slammed his shot against the crossbar, leaving the game scoreless in the 37th minute.
The two sides struggled to challenge each other throughout the match, settling for long-range, low-quality shots.
Charlotte’s Wilfried Zaha and Revs defender Mamadou Fofana had to be separated by teammates after a brief shouting match and a couple of shoves in the second half. Zaha, who then argued with New England manager Marko Mitrovic, was booked. The yellow card is his sixth in just nine league appearances.
Charlotte nearly found an equalizer in the game’s dying minutes when Morrison Agyemang headed a shot from short range. The shot seemed destined for the upper corner of the net, but Turner deflected the ball to preserve the Revs’ victory.
–Field Level Media
Cardinals stave off Dodgers’ rally for 6th straight win
Saba Lobjanidze's brace sparks Atlanta over Montreal
