The Cognizant Classic tees off in the Palm Beaches, with Brooks Koepka headlining the field alongside last year’s champion Joe Highsmith, Ryder Cup clincher Shane Lowry and Ryan Gerard, the top-ranked player to tee it up this week.
Koepka’s form since returning from the LIV Golf League has dominated discourse this year. The former Smash GC captain was the first to win five individual titles at LIV, before being overtaken by Joaquin Niemann, and was the first active LIV Golfer to win a Major Championship at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour via the Returning Member Program, which stipulated he must forfeit player equity for five years, accept ineligibility for FedEx Cup bonuses, and agree to a $5m donation to charity. In his pre-tournament press conference, he discussed fond memories of his hometown event, changes to PGA National, and pondered over his golfing legacy among other things.
He was also asked how he decided on the 11 charities he donated to, which were revealed earlier this week – with $1m going to Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the primary charitable recipient of the Cognizant Classic.
“Me and the PGA Tour got together. All those charities are charities that I’ve been involved with for years, either participated in or have gone and helped around or donated to before, and I just feel like it was a good opportunity to donate to something where I know the money is actually going to,” he explained.
This week, the five-time Major champion returns to make his eighth appearance at the event at what can be considered a ‘home course’ for him. He first played it in 2014 and only missed one year prior to joining LIV, having also attended the event as a child.
Koepka made his tournament debut here in 2014
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Growing up here, I came every year. I remember carrying the sign. From probably when I was nine, ten years old until probably maybe a junior, senior in high school, I…
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