Brooks Koepka’s first PGA TOUR start since leaving LIV came at one of the most demanding stops on the schedule, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Through the PGA TOUR’s newly minted Returning Member Program he entered a regular event for the first time in years, and immediately drew a spotlight grouping and major level expectations.

For most of the week he looked competitive. Scrapping it around on the difficult course to make the cut and play the weekend. No small task. But his Tangent scorecard showed a player whose ball striking had returned faster than his feel on the greens.​

Koepka actually gained strokes in 3 of the 4 domains, but gave almost 2 full shots back per round with the flatstick according to Tangent where he ranked 74th.. in other words one of the worst putting performances of those that made the cut.

From the fairway and rough Koepka looked very much like the multiple major champion fans remember. Tangent’s strokes gained breakdown points to a strong positive number on approach, powered by solid distance control into Torrey’s small targets and tight proximity with his scoring clubs. That type of ball striking is exactly what you want to see in a first week back, with repeatable windows, plenty of greens in regulation, and a steady stream of birdie opportunities. For your own game this is the good kind of problem, because when you are creating chances the ceiling stays high once the putter improves. For most players, putting is one of the most variable skills from day to day.

On the greens, the story flipped. Koepka lost significant strokes to the field with the putter. The biggest damage coming from short range, including multiple three putts from inside four feet during the tournament. On Poa annua surfaces that already rank among the trickiest on the PGA TOUR, those misses quickly erased much of the value created by his strong approach play. At this level, short putts don’t just hurt. They decide tournaments.

It shows even the pros can sometimes get careless with speed.

It is rare to see professional golfers 3 putt from short distances, much less multiple times. Tangent breaks down his putting performance by distance and highlights short putts as the key area of focus. Short putts include those from 4-6ft.

Viewed as a whole, Koepka’s performance at the Farmers Insurance Open looked exactly like a world class player returning to a demanding venue after time away. He showed major championship ball striking, visible competitive fire, and a putter that has not fully caught up yet. Tangent’s strokes gained summary shows that contrast clearly, with green lights in the long game and a red flag on the greens that pulls the total back toward the middle of the pack.

You can get the same breakdown of your own game by tracking your shots with the Tangent app. In fact, go a step further and track ‘Putt Details’ to get insights into your green reading like below:

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