Even before Brooks Koepka left, the ‘Scientist’ was the face of the LIV Golf league. Now, he holds all the cards. A look into the situation.
First, the latest news: Brooks Koepka’s first appearance on the driving range at Torrey Pines was met with neither hostility nor warmth from his former and renewed colleagues. At best, the LIV returnee was met with polite indifference, with even Wyndham Clark, a declared skeptic of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, remaining low-key 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 with how things have gone,\” Koepka stated some time ago. At yesterday’s press conference for the Farmers Insurance Open, he politely thanked for the opportunity and revealed that his first call upon receiving permission to leave LIV was to Tiger Woods, the influential 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 that came to mind as I always had a good relationship with him.\” Koepka clearly knows whose approval truly counts…
\”I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my career and am very happy to be here. Brian Rolapp, Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods, and everyone who made this opportunity possible, I am very grateful.\”
Brooks Koepka
LIV Golf’s Dynamic Severely Changed
But wait, isn’t this article supposed to be about Bryson DeChambeau? It is. However, the Koepka case has to be addressed first. The departure of the Florida giant has significantly altered the dynamics of the LIV Golf league. The Saudi-backed league suddenly lost 33.3 percent of its key assets.
Koepka was one of those players who commanded attention in the public eye — a five-time major winner, accompanied by the glamorous Jena Sims, and one of only two LIV players to have won a major while on the rival circuit. The other is DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion and a unique figure in many ways.
Only DeChambeau and Rahm as Key Assets
The third valuable asset is likely Jon Rahm, not only from a European perspective. After that, LIV’s player roster fades into insignificance — a bit of Sergio Garcia, perhaps some Joaquin Niemann.
Patrick Reed stands out mainly because of his controversial reputation, despite recently winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Dustin Johnson missing the cut in the same tournament was largely ignored. Tyrrell Hatton remains more interesting than Cameron Smith. And who was Phil Mickelson again?
Rory McIlroy has a point when he says, \”They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle, and I don’t think they will.\”