It was no surprise that the PGA Tour changed the rules to ensure that Brooks Koepka could make an almost immediate return following his departure from LIV Golf.

The opportunity to bring Brooks Koepka back into the fold was too irresistible for Brian Rolapp to ignore. He is a five-time major champion who has had one of the most unique careers of any player in the current generation.

How will Brooks Koepka perform during the 2026 PGA Tour season?

Could he really win this year?

It remains to be seen if Koepka can win at the very highest level again. Clearly, you can never rule the 35-year-old out on the big stage, regardless of the form he is in.

But it appears increasingly likely that next Koepka has been found in what could be a monumental boost for the PGA Tour.

The next Brooks Koepka may be emerging on the PGA Tour

While Chris Gotterup had already won on the PGA Tour in 2026, it felt highly likely that he would play more of a supporting role within his group during the first round of the WM Phoenix Open.

His playing partners at TPC Scottsdale were Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler, of course, had won the event twice previously.

Spieth had a good day. But it was Gotterup who proved to be the star of the show, quickly racing towards the top of the leaderboard.

He looked to be the superstar of a group that included the game’s most dominant player since Tiger Woods. And it is not the first time that Gotterup has stood out up against a superstar.

It was his victory at the Scottish Open that launched Gotterup to that next level. The American began the final day at The Renaissance Club tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy, a past winner of the event.

He has gone toe to toe with the two best players of this era and won out on both occasions.

It is a small sample size, but it is very reminiscent of Koepka’s ability to produce his greatest displays in the majors.

How Chris Gotterup compares with Brooks Koepka with several impressive performances under his belt already

Gotterup followed his victory in Scotland with an outstanding display on his Open Championship debut at Royal Portrush the following week.

The 26-year-old finished third.

Gotterup plays with a swagger that could easily be misinterpreted. It also helps that both wear Nike clothing on the course when identifying the similarities.

Give us one reason why Chris Gotterup could be the man to challenge Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy

Gotterup began his 2026 in fine style with a win at the Sony Open…

Like Koepka, Gotterup’s biggest strength is his distance off the tee. He was ninth for strokes gained in that category in 2025 – a season where he took a long time to get going.

Funnily enough, that was exactly the same spot Koepka occupied on the PGA Tour in 2018. That is obviously significant, with his victories at the US Open and the PGA Championship that year.

While there is a gap between their respective strokes gained numbers, it does appear that there are similar strengths and weaknesses between the pair.

And when you consider that Gotterup can be so streaky with the putter – he gained 1.27 shots per round at the Sony Open in Hawaii, before losing 0.68 per round at the Farmers Insurance Open, according to Data Golf – it really would not be a surprise if he was on a similar trajectory to Koepka.

Obviously, it takes so much more than potential to win five major championships. No one currently playing regularly on the PGA Tour has won more.

But there is definitely something spectacular about Gotterup.