In 2019, the week Brooks Koepka would lead wire-to-wire on the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black and seize a fourth main title in 23 months, he broke down why he believed he’d change into essentially the most dominant participant on golf’s largest levels.
“(There are) 156 within the subject,” he stated, “so you work a minimum of 80 of them I am simply going to beat. From there you work about half of them will not play effectively. So that you’re right down to about perhaps 35. After which from 35, a few of them simply … stress goes to get to them. It solely leaves you with a number of extra, and you have simply received to beat these guys. “
Koepka, the Palm Seaside County native and Jupiter resident, lately has change into a type of guys others imagine, “I am simply going to beat.” A non-factor on this 12 months’s majors and barely in rivalry within the final 12 months, Koepka, whether or not due to accidents, the distraction of planning a marriage or perhaps simply being previous his peak, is leaving the PGA Tour to affix Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Collection.
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Brooks Koepka’s announcement to go away PGA Tour for LIV Golf
The announcement got here Wednesday, after Koepka withdrew from the Vacationers Championship late Tuesday.
Koepka, at 32, is an enormous get for the Saudi-backed sequence looking for credibility and a focus, one whose occasions are proven on YouTube as a result of it does not have a tv deal. LIV’s first occasion two weeks in the past in London featured simply two golfers who transfer the needle, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. Add Bryson DeChambeau and Koepka for subsequent week’s occasion at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Membership outdoors of Portland, Oregon, and now it has 4.
However none of that issues to the 20 or so gamers who’ve defected from the PGA Tour and others who’re struggling to search out their footing on this planet {of professional} golf.
Why different golf gamers are becoming a member of Liv Golf
All that issues are the checks hitting their accounts. Everybody from Palm Seaside Gardens’ Charl Schwartzel, who gained $ 4.75 million for profitable the person title and being a part of the profitable group in London; to Andy Ogletree, who took residence $ 120,000 in prize cash for taking pictures 24-over and ending final within the 48-man-field, is in LIV for one purpose.
In 20 years as a professional, Schwartzel by no means gained $ 3 million in a 12 months, together with 2011 when he gained the Masters. Ogeltree’s profession earnings in 4 years of taking part in tour occasions is $ 38,186.
Koepka’s resolution definitely has to do with including to that $ 38 million he is earned in prize cash, plus thousands and thousands extra off the course, in his profession. It additionally provides us a peek into the thoughts of a golfer who at one time was thought-about amongst golf’s royalty, held the No. 1 rating on this planet for 47 weeks and was as feared as anybody not named Tiger Woods in current historical past relating to the majors.
Now, Koepka has finished one thing utterly reverse to what he had change into identified for on golf’s largest levels – a steely, laser-like centered, ultra-competitive champion.
He has run from the competitors.
Accidents definitely have performed a consider his struggles, however he is been coping with these – whether or not it is his wrist, knee, hip – for a number of years now. Maybe Koepka simply cannot deal with his physique not permitting him to be a constant menace on the PGA Tour.
Or maybe he is seen a gaggle of gifted gamers of their 20s – all about 5 years youthful than Koepka – making their mark within the sport. Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris all have zoomed previous Koepka on this planet rankings.
What occurred to the Brooks Koepka who stated simply 4 months in the past it was “embarrassing” to be ranked no. 20 on this planet? At present he’s No. 19.
The outdated Brooks Koepka would have taken on that problem, pulled out the disrespect card he used so effectively throughout his run of 4 main championships in eight begins, and re-established his standing among the many finest on this planet.
Brooks Koepka stands to make thousands and thousands with LIV golf occasions
Now, Koepka is taking the simple cash he— he’s doubtless receiving within the neighborhood of $ 100 million to affix the sequence — to play eight LIV occasions (the sequence is hoping to broaden subsequent 12 months) and no matter different tournaments will welcome LIV golfers.
All this, after all, is his proper, however he’s the one who has to just accept the backlash for becoming a member of a league backed by Saudi cash. And realizing Koepka as many people do, he definitely doesn’t care concerning the blowback.
However Koepka will not be taking part in in opposition to the perfect on this planet, with the attainable exception of some majors every year, and even that could be taken away. That, too, he has to just accept.
This a lot is definite, Koepka wouldn’t have taken this path two or three years in the past when there was a mystique to his recreation.
And nobody outdoors of Mickelson has dealt with this resolution worse than Koepka. He’ll eternally be remembered for calling out Mickelson for his “greed” remark, saying LIV would get their guys as a result of “any person will promote out and go to it,” and insisting cash does not matter and “I simply need to play in opposition to the perfect. “
On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy, who has been as vocal as anybody in his loyalty to the PGA Tour, stated he was stunned with Koepka’s resolution, calling it “duplicitous” due to “what he stated earlier than.”
Not too long ago:Brooks Koepka is sick of speaking about and listening to about LIV Golf forward of the US Open
What we all know:Extra PGA Tour gamers defect to LIV Golf Invitational because it preps for second occasion
However now he’s unable to play PGA Tour occasions, together with his hometown Honda Basic, which, to Koepka’s credit score, was on his schedule yearly. The very best golfer ever born and bred in Palm Seaside County is leaving the perfect, best league in his sport. Certain, his 4 majors had been historic, one thing he will probably be and— and needs to be — happy with the remainder of his life.
These trophies nonetheless shine sitting on Koepka’s bookshelves. It is his fame that has been tarnished.
Tom D’Angelo is a journalist on the Palm Seaside Publish. You possibly can attain him at tdangelo@pbpost.com.