Tiger Woods believes Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA TOUR “says a lot” about where the PGA TOUR is headed.

Woods spoke publicly on Koepka’s return for the first time after Tuesday’s TGL match between Woods’ Jupiter Links Golf Club and New York Golf Club.

Woods has become an instrumental voice on the PGA TOUR’s Policy Board and the newly-created Future Competitions Committee, which is currently evaluating potentially substantive changes to the TOUR’s 2027 schedule. Woods was part of the decision-making process that settled on the Returning Member Program, which offers Koepka and several other players an alternative path back to the PGA TOUR.

“We get a probably top-three-of-his-generation player back that went to another tour, played over there, and was adamant about coming back here and got out early to come back,” Woods said of Koepka.

“That says a lot about the PGA TOUR, where we're headed, what we have done, what we accomplished and the players who have stayed and who have supported the TOUR,” Woods continued. “Having another world-class player that these guys are going to try and beat, that's what the fans demanded. That's what the fans wanted for our fan initiative program, and I think we've addressed that.”

Koepka is expected to make his return at the Farmers Insurance Open later this month. He has also committed to the WM Phoenix Open, a tournament Koepka has won twice.

The PGA TOUR established the Returning Member Program to provide players who have achieved elite levels of performance an alternative path back to the highest tier of men’s professional golf. In keeping with the PGA TOUR’s fundamental philosophy of meritocracy, only players who have been away from the TOUR for at least two years and have won THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship during the 2022-25 seasons are eligible.

The program is not necessarily an indication of what the PGA TOUR will do in the future for this or any other situation, but instead a response to a unique set of circumstances.

Returning Members are also subject to heavy and appropriate financial consequences to ensure fairness to current members.

“(We) tried to implement a plan that would be fair and adequate, that justifies Brooks' time away from our tour, the penalties served, the fines if necessary, what the integration would look like on our tour, and obviously the bonus payouts, yes or no,” Woods said. “We had lots of subsequent meetings, worked through the holidays. There (were) no days off. We just worked through it day after day after day, and we came out with a plan that we unveiled.”

“With Brooks' addition to the TOUR, it does. It makes it a better place to play,” Woods added. “Now with players who have earned equity, and there are four more years of potential earning of equity for these players, the fact that they own the TOUR, if Brooks plays, it puts more money in their pocket. It's a win for everyone.”