Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is searching for more consistency as he prepares for the Players Championship, his fourth PGA Tour start since returning from LIV Golf. The 35-year-old Florida native has struggled in his first three tournaments back, missing the cut at the WM Phoenix Open after tying for 56th at Torrey Pines. Koepka made a putter switch to a Spider model during the Cognizant Classic, where he posted a final-round 65.

Koepka's return has been complicated by PGA Tour's Returning Member Program, which limited him to non-signature events while top players competed elsewhere. He watched from home as stars played the Arnold Palmer Invitational, acknowledging the consequences of his previous league choices. Despite the challenges, Koepka said he's appreciated the warm reception from fans and fellow players, with several competitors thanking him for creating opportunities when he left for LIV.

At TPC Sawgrass, Koepka faces another hurdle: the infamous 17th hole. In 20 career rounds on the Stadium Course, he's 20 over par on that par-3, with multiple balls finding the water. While he found the green during Monday's practice round, Koepka remains philosophical about his history there, saying his friends give him plenty of grief about his struggles on golf's most famous island green.