Before Brooks Koepka’s departure, the ‘Scientist’ was already the face of the LIV Golf league. Now, he holds all the cards even more firmly. An analysis.
First the latest news: Brooks Koepka’s first appearance at the driving range at Torrey Pines was met neither with hostility nor enthusiasm by his former and soon-to-be colleagues. At most, there was a friendly indifference towards the LIV returnee; even Wyndham Clark, who has been openly critical of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, has remained low-key so far.
Phone Call with Tiger Woods
‘I’m excited. There are definitely players who are happy and definitely players who will be angry. Some won’t be happy with how things went,’ the 35-year-old had said some time ago. Yesterday, at the press conference for the Farmers Insurance Open, he gratefully acknowledged the opportunity and revealed that his first phone call after being cleared to leave LIV was to Tiger Woods, the powerful figure behind the scenes in Ponte Vedra Beach.
‘I wasn’t exactly sure what to do or how to approach things [with the PGA Tour], and Tiger was the first person I thought of since I always had a good relationship with him.’ Koepka clearly knows whose approval truly matters…
LIV Golf’s Landscape Dramatically Changed
But wait, wasn’t this article supposed to be about Bryson DeChambeau? Indeed, but without the Koepka situation as an introduction, it’s impossible. The departure of the Florida giant has drastically altered the balance of LIV Golf. The Saudi-backed league suddenly lost 33.3% of its star assets.
Koepka was someone who could openly be showcased to the public—a five-time major winner with the glamorous Jena Sims by his side, and one of two LIV players who won a major while with the competitor circuit. The other is DeChambeau, US Open champion in 2020 and 2024 (!) and in many respects an extraordinary player.
Only DeChambeau and Rahm as Valuable Assets
The third notable asset with the ‘particularly valuable’ label is arguably Jon Rahm—not only from a European perspective. After that, LIV’s player roster fades into insignificance. A bit of Sergio Garcia, maybe some Joaquin Niemann.
Patrick Reed stands out, mainly due to his controversial reputation, and he recently won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Dustin Johnson missing the cut there was hardly noticed. Tyrrell Hatton is clearly more interesting than Cameron Smith. And who was Phil Mickelson again?
Rory McIlroy is right when he says, ‘They haven’t signed anyone who makes a difference, and I don’t think they will.’
Only Majors and YouTube?
This brings us finally to Bryson DeChambeau. LIV lives by and through the 32-year-old Texas transplant, which is not necessarily reciprocal. BDC recently said he could imagine playing only the majors for the rest of his career and otherwise focusing on his YouTube channel