Brooks Koepka’s responses to the PGA Tour-LIV battle? There was 1 theme
Brooks Koepka, asked Tuesday about the ongoing PGA Tour-LIV battle, answered each question in a way that would make a tennis coach proud.
He was consistent.
When it came to “politics” at a press conference two days before Koepka’s first PGA Tour start since it was announced earlier this month that he would be returning to the circuit he left LIV for four seasons, Koepka didn’t shy away from much.
Reporter: Should the PGA Tour invite more players from LIV?
Koepka: “I’m two days back from this.
Reporter: Can the PGA Tour’s battle with LIV be resolved?
Koepka: “I have no idea. I wasn’t part of the negotiations on either side. It’s out of my hands and my job is to go play golf and put it together on Thursday.”
On Dec. 23, LIV and Koepka announced he was leaving the league he joined in 2022 — and on Jan. 12, the PGA Tour said Koepka is returning with the newly created “Returning Member Program,” a policy open to three other LIV players (Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and their key win of Cameron Smith four years ago).
On Tuesday, Koepka said his family’s health was one of the biggest factors in his decision. And that was part of his answer when he was asked if anyone at LIV had reached out to him to discuss his comeback plan.
“Nobody picked my brain,” Koepka said. “I have a few messages from guys who are still using LIV, trying to communicate with them. I think they understood the situation of what my family was going through, even if the wives have connections. So I think everyone understands the situation we were in maybe more than anyone else.
“Yes, they understand that and they just wish me well but I always do the best for you.”
Those players he said are also the ones he will miss the most about LIV.
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“I think maybe being around guys, it’s not, because we’re not — everybody’s not lost all the time,” Koepka said. “We’re all one big walking circus, right? That’s just the way it is. It’s fun and I’m going to miss those guys, seeing those guys week in and week out. The relationships I’ve built with those guys and not seeing them all the time, that’s going to be so different.
“But at the same time, there are a lot of people I haven’t seen in four years and I don’t get to be that close to them, so I’m happy about that too.”
Koepka was also asked about his recent slump in the majors – and whether the LIV program played a role in that.
As of 2023, LIV has played 14 events a year. Here are Koepka’s biggest finishes during that time:
-2023: tied for second (Masters), first (PGA Championship, his fifth major title), tied for 17th (US Open), tied for 64th (Open Championship)
-2024: tied for 45th (Masters), tied for 26th (PGA Championship), tied for 26th (US Open), tied for 43rd (Open Championship)
-2025: Missed cut (Masters), missed cut (PGA Championship), tied for 12th (US Open), missed (Open Championship)
“It doesn’t matter, the preparation,” Koepka said. “If you don’t play well in those weeks, I mean, it’s hard to say, No. 1, you cut a high score, and to win one is very difficult. Everything has to go your way, the jump has to be right, you have to be lucky.
“If you just don’t play – I mean, I didn’t play well last year. I don’t think, maybe the end of ’24, I didn’t play that well. So it’s difficult – I can’t make an excuse for anything other than I’m the one in charge of the club, I’m the one who has to do everything and I didn’t do enough work.”
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