Conn. (AP) — Brooks Koepka, one of the first players to denounce a rival league for only 48 players, is the latest PGA Tour player to sign on with Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, The Associated Press has learned.
A person briefed on Koepka's decision told the AP he still would be able to compete on the PGA Tour until he hits a shot on the LIV Golf circuit. The person spoke on condition of anonymity without authorization to speak on behalf of the tour.
The Daily Telegraph in the UK first reported Koepka's decision.
It was another step — and a big name with his four major championships — that added to the roster of the LIV Golf series that invariably will lead to no space for some of the lesser-known players in the inaugural event outside London two weeks ago.
Koepka remained in the field for the Travelers Championship, though he was not at a player meeting Tuesday morning at the TPC River Highlands. The next LIV Golf event starts June 30 outside Portland, Oregon.
People are also reading…
Koepka was the second player, behind Rory McIlroy, to speak out against a rival league in March 2020 when he told the AP, “I have a hard time believing golf should be about just 48 players.”
“Money isn't going to change my life,” Koepka said at the time.
The proposed rival league was different from LIV Golf, presented as the “Premier Golf League” though still relying on Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Greg Norman and LIV Golf took the idea of 48-man fields, no cuts with a team component.
LIV Golf has not announced Koepka's signing amid speculation that a few others were soon to join. One was Abraham Ancer of Mexico, the No. 20 in the world who won a World Golf Championship last year in a playoff, along with the Australian Open in 2018.
Ancer said his decision was not taken lightly and that joining LIV would allow him to give back to the game by helping it grow in Mexico. “I never could have imagined being in this position today,” he said on Twitter.
The development came as the PGA Tour held a player meeting at the Travelers Championship, during which Commissioner Jay Monahan spoke of the tour's position and plans to reshape the season and its tournaments.
According to two players in the meeting, the PGA Tour plans to return to a calendar season that would start in January and the FedEx Cup playoffs would be eligible for only for the top 70 players. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was for players.
Currently, the top 125 make the postseason, with the top 70 advancing to the second playoff event and the top 30 to the Tour Championship. The new plan is for the top 70 at the start, then top 50 and top 30.
The fall would be used for players beyond 70th to secure cards for the following year, although research showed most inside the top 100 would be safe. The tour was still looking at three fall events for limited fields, part of eight tournaments during the year that would offer $20 million in prize money.
LIV Golf was expected to announce as many as four new players this week. There was endless speculation during the U.S. Open involving more than a dozen names, some of whom have expressed no interest in going.
That led two-time major champion Collin Morikawa to post on Twitter, “To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I've said it since February at Riviera that I'm here to stay on the PGA Tour and nothing has changed.”
Koepka's younger brother, Chase, who is No. 1,607 in the world ranking, played in the inaugural LIV event outside London.
Brooks Koepka chastised the media at The Country Club last week for questions about the Saudi-funded league
“I’m here at the U.S. Open. I’m ready to play U.S. Open, and I think it kind of sucks, too, you are all throwing this black cloud over the U.S. Open," he said. "I don’t know why you guys keep doing that. The more legs you give it, the more you keep talking about it.”
Koepka won back-to-back in the U.S. Open (2017-18) and PGA Championship (2018-19), though his game has been in decline since then because of a series of injuries.
His last victory was the Phoenix Open in February 2021 and he has fallen to No. 19 in the world. In the majors this year, he missed the cut at the Masters and has finished out of the top 50 in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
10 reasons why the Masters is still the best golf tournament in the world
1. Sheer beauty.
Augusta National Golf Club is beautiful everywhere you look, from the white cabins to the pink azaleas, from Amen Corner to the walking path along the second fairway. It's hard to imagine a prettier setting that doesn't feature an ocean.
2. Permanence.
Augusta National isn't the only beautiful golf course in the land, or the world, but when the other majors are held, they become cities of large, white tents. At the Masters, the gift shop is nicer than Tiffany's and the press building looks like a billionaire's mansion.
3. Climate.
The U.S. Open and PGA Championship, often held in hot months in hot locales, can melt you. The Masters usually means a week of pleasantly warm weather amid shade trees. It's the perfect introduction to spring.
4. Elevation changes.
Watch the Masters on television and it looks relatively flat. It isn't. One of the reasons the course is so tricky is that players have to hit off uneven lies to undulating greens, and you have to be here to understand just how uneven and undulating the course is. The 10th fairway could be used as a ski slope. The 2nd is straight downhill. The 14th and 17th require drives straight uphill. One of the reasons Bryson DeChambeau has struggled at the Masters is that he believes in calculations, but uneven footing and swirling winds can make science worthless. You have to feel it.
5. The practice facility.
Young players have to learn not to burn themselves out on the practice grounds, because the grounds are — yes, that word again — beautiful, but also almost too inviting.
6. Mystery.
The Masters is known for the quality of its champions. The two most accomplished golfers of all time, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, won it a combined 11 times. Analysts will note that the course favors certain kinds of players but just about anybody who plays well can win here. Short players (Mike Weir, Zach Johnson) and tall (Dustin Johnson). Righties and lefties. Those with years of experience on the course and those without (like Woods in 1997). Long hitters and short (like Zach Johnson). Of the last six champions, the only one who could have been easily predicted as Dustin Johnson last year.
The course rewards greatness writ large, and greatness packed into one week.
7. Eagles.
Augusta National is one of the world's great risk-reward course, which makes for an interesting tournament. All four par-5s are reachable, and the two on the back nine carry risk. That's why the old saying "the Masters doesn't begin until the back nine on Sunday" is often relevant. Most players atop the leaderboard could either eagle the 13th and 15th or bogey them, and that kind of swing in the scoreboard can make or break them in the tournament.
Hideki Matsuyama likely won this year's tournament with his eagle on No. 15 on Saturday.
8. Amphitheaters.
I've been to a lot of tournaments where, if you don't set up early at a hole, you're lucky to see a key green. The Masters has natural amphitheaters where you can sit on a hillside and see the 15th and 16th greens and the 17th tee, or the 11th green, 12th hole and 13th tee box.
9. History.
No matter how the golf ball or equipment has changed, we still see players standing over shots rich in history. The 16th is where Nicklaus made that putt and Tiger made that chip. The 13th and 15th are the places where so many players have gone for the green, whether holding a three-wood or 9-iron. Every player speaks of watching the Masters on television as a kid and having watched the greats attempt those shots.
10. Roars.
Because the tournament is held on the same grounds every year, and because of the rolling hills and intimate layout, when the crowd roars from the other side of the course, you can tell what has happened. There are hole-in-one roars, eagle roars and Tiger roars that are like nothing else in golf.
