Chase Koepka didn’t just tiptoe back into competitive golf this week—he strolled in like he never left, turning heads at the International Series India presented by DLF.
Even he seemed a little taken aback by how well things were going. After 15 long months of rehabbing a cranky shoulder, the 30-year-old is finally shaking off the rust, looking more like the guy who once battled it out on the LIV Golf League than someone just trying to remember which end of the club to hold.
A level-par second round of 72 has placed Koepka on two under—just four shots off clubhouse leader Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC—an encouraging feat for a golfer only in his second tournament after such a long layoff.
“I had to start over completely,” Koepka admitted. “There wasn’t much to go off of. I’m just thankful to be back out here. There was a period when I wasn’t even thinking about golf—I just wanted to feel better.”
The younger brother of five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has been working diligently to regain full fitness. Koepka shared that Brooks and the rest of his family played it smart during his long layoff, opting for patience over panic.
No one was pushing him to race back before he was ready—least of all his big brother, who knows a thing or two about making the right calls under pressure.
“Luckily, I had the time to recover,” he said. “You hear about athletes rushing back from injuries and regretting it. I wasn’t about to be one of them.”
was fortunate enough to take my time and make sure I was fully healthy before returning.”
That cautious strategy appears to be paying off. Despite missing the cut on his return at the Smart Infinity Philippine Open last week, Koepka has seen signs of genuine progress in India.
He admitted that making swings again was initially an uphill battle, explaining how he had to relearn basic movements before he could even think about playing competitive golf.
“I was sitting in rehab every day doing small exercises. I literally had to learn how to squeeze my hand and pick something up again after surgery.”
Now that his shoulder has improved, Koepka is keen to play more frequently and build on his encouraging start to the season.
He fondly recalls a T11 finish in Morocco in 2022, his best result so far on The International Series, and is eager for more.
“My goal is to play full-time out here,” he noted. “Overall, I like where I’m at—I can’t expect too much after so much time off.
You don’t really know how your game stands until you’re tested in a real tournament.”
A strong support network, including his fiancée, has helped Koepka remain patient and upbeat, even during his darkest days of discomfort.
“My family and my fiancée were really supportive, pushing me to get healthy enough to return to the game.
I was in so much pain that there was a lot of negativity. But I always wanted to try and come back—I just wanted to get healthy. I’m just thankful to be back out here.”
With his comeback well underway, Koepka has firmly set his sights on the rest of the Asian Tour calendar, ready to prove that his injury woes are behind him and eager to chase new success in the tournaments ahead.
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