Koepka eyes 'more consistency' in his game at Players Championship - ESPN

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka will make his fourth PGA Tour start of the season in the Players this week, but it will be the first time he'll compete against nearly all of the circuit's top stars.

Relegated to playing in non-signature events as part of the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program, the former LIV Golf League captain has been forced to watch limited-field tournaments like last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

«I mean, you would like to be there last week, but I understand those are the consequences of my decisions,» Koepka said Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass. «I'm a big boy, I understand that. So, I got to sit at home and watch, and the answer to everything is play good golf and everything will take care of itself.»

Since returning to the PGA Tour on Jan. 12, Koepka's results have been a mixed bag. He tied for 56th at 4 under in his first tournament in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines outside San Diego on Jan. 29, then missed the cut the next week after carding a 76-69 in the WM Phoenix Open.

Koepka, 35, said he felt like he made a breakthrough, albeit against a weaker field, in the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on March 1. He posted a 6-under 65 in the final round, after switching from a blade putter to a Spider model that week.

«I think the first week was just trying to get that out of the way,» Koepka said. «Then the second week, I felt like it was very disappointing. Made a few changes [with a] new putter, just working on a few different mechanical things in the putting. [I] felt like it started to click, I guess.»

While being sidelined from the API, Koepka played in the Seminole Pro-Member at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. He went to Orlando,