Before Brooks Koepka’s departure, the ‘Scientist’ was already the face of LIV Golf. Now, he definitely holds all the cards in his hand. An analysis.
The latest news first: Brooks Koepka, on his first appearance at the Torrey Pines driving range, was met with neither hostility nor warmth from his former and renewed colleagues. At most, the LIV returnee received friendly indifference, with Wyndham Clark, a known skeptic of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, remaining unremarkable so far.
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 how everything went,’ the 35-year-old had said some time ago. Yesterday, at the Farmers Insurance Open press conference, he gratefully acknowledged the opportunity and revealed that his first call upon being cleared to leave LIV was to Tiger Woods, the powerful figure behind the scenes at Ponte Vedra Beach.
‘I wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to approach things [with the PGA Tour], and Tiger was the first to come to mind since I always had a good relationship with him.’ Koepka knows exactly whose approval really matters.
The Dynamics of LIV Changed Dramatically
But wait, isn’t this article supposed to be about Bryson DeChambeau? Indeed. But it cannot be without the Koepka context. The departure of the towering Floridian has drastically altered LIV Golf’s balance. The Saudi-backed league instantaneously lost 33.3% of its key assets.
Koepka was one who made a statement publicly, a five-time major winner with the glamorous Jena Sims by his side. One of only two LIV players to win a major during the competitor circuit era – the other being DeChambeau, US Open champion in 2020 and again in 2024, and exceptional in many respects.
Only DeChambeau and Rahm Remain Significant Assets
The third valuable asset is likely Jon Rahm, not only from a European perspective. Beyond them, LIV’s player list fades into insignificance: a bit of Sergio Garcia, some Joaquin Niemann perhaps.
Patrick Reed stands out, although marred by accusations and controversies; yet the 2018 Masters champion just won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Dustin Johnson missing the cut in the same tournament hardly registered. Tyrrell Hatton is clearly more interesting than Cameron Smith. And who exactly is Phil Mickelson again?
Rory McIlroy was right when he said: ‘They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle, and I don’t think they will.’
Only Majors and YouTube?
That brings us to Bryson DeChambeau. LIV lives through the 32-year-old Texas transplant. Conversely, this may not be the other way around. DeChambeau recently said he could imagine playing only the majors for the rest of his career, focusing otherwise on his YouTube channel with the hit series ‘Break 50’ and nearly three