Majors are what matter in golf, says Brooks Koepka of plans for new big-money breakaway circuit

World No 1 Brooks Koepka is playing in this week's Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf Club on the Red Sea coast

In response to details of the proposed breakaway circuit being revealed by British-based World Golf Group at the end of last week, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent an email to his members, including Koepka, on Monday.

While the exact details of what he said have not yet emerged, it is believed that Monahan effectively issued a warning that PGA Tour players would not be allowed to be part of the plan to create a world tour by another body.

"I saw the email last night before I was going to bed and what do you think their response is going to be?" said Koepka, speaking at a press conference for this week's second Saudi International on the European Tour, of the proposal to see 48 players competing in 18 tournaments for a total prize pot of $240 million (£183m).

"We've heard talks about it (the new League) for a while," added the four-time major winner.

"I was only brought up-to-date, I think, on 4 January when, instead of hearing about it for a couple years, okay, it was more, 'I think this might actually happen'.

"I'm always going to speak my mind and tell you what I think, but I just don't have enough information on it to genuinely have an opinion. This could be a possibility, but I don't know. When things are more finalised and kind of put in stone and I understand it and I know exactly where things are falling, then I'll be probably one of the first ones to make a choice or figure out what I'm going to do."

The European Tour would be affected as well if its top players were lured away by the prospect of competing for a $2m (£1.5m) first prize each week, with big money also set to be on offer in a team format running concurrently in the 54-hole events being proposed for a 2022 launch.

The majors, of course, are all run by four separate organisations - Augusta National (The Masters), PGA of America (US PGA Championship), USGA (US Open) and R&A (The Open) - and there seems little likelihood of any players turning their back on those events if push came to shove.

"In golf, that's what you're remembered by, major championships," said Koepka, a two-time US Open and US PGA Championship winner, in reply to being asked if those established top tournaments in the game would potentially be the deal breaker.

"I know everybody always gives me grief about not winning enough PGA Tour or European Tour events or not winning enough, but I guarantee most of you in here don't even know how many regular tour events Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson won; you just know how many majors they won. At the end of the day, that's how you're remembered by in golf and it's a big part for me."

Referring to the plan to "revitalise the sport for this and future" generations, he added: "There's a lot of things that are going to have to play into it. You know, it just depends on how things go.

"So far, I haven't even thought about it. I mean, the Olympics is still even new (with golf only having been reintroduced to the Games in Rio in 2016 after a gap of 112 years). You know, it is not something I grew up wanting to do. Golf wasn't in the Olympics. It was never an option. So kind of don't know how I feel about that."

Dustin Johnson, the world No 5, also spoke about the proposed League for the first time as he prepared for his title defence in this week's $3.5 million event at Royal Greens Golf Club on the Red Sea coast, where Phil Mickelson is also playing after securing a hefty appearance fee.

"I think it's in the early stages, but sounds interesting." said Johnson, the 2016 US Open champion, who had still to read his email from the PGA Tour boss. "It's kind of hard to say," he added to being asked if he'd require some assurances about his PGA Tour future if he played on the breakaway circuit.

Would he be prepared to risk losing his card by such a step? "I don't know if that's even a possibility, but it would take a lot in every way you could think of." Money can talk, though. "It's possible for sure. I think so," he said of the chance of the breakaway circuit getting its target of 48 players to sign up.