"News that Brooks Koepka will step away from LIV Golf in 2026 comes as no shock. This never felt a particularly sensible alliance; an individual who craves glory at the top level and a disruption regime that has grasped for relevance with only varying degrees of success. Koepka has looked unhappy in his professional domain for some time. He has all but admitted he would never have joined LIV but for fears over a potentially career-threatening injury."
"Golf's ultimate alpha male was the captain of LIV's Smash GC team. The whole thing always seemed preposterous. Koepka's exit is a blow to LIV, however it is spun. Two years ago, the Saudi Arabian-backed tour spent the festive season purring after Jon Rahm signed up. Golf's existing ecosystem remained in a state of panic. LIV's Koepka was the reigning US PGA champion. Amalgamation, surely, was necessary."
"As word of the 35-year-old's LIV departure broke, the PGA Tour could not resist an immediate dig. The PGA Tour continues to offer the best competitive golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness, read a statement. Receipts have been kept since the 2022 moment in which LIV started coaxing at least some of the PGA Tour's hottest properties. More recent times have seen the PGA Tour noticeably emboldened, hence the untypical swipe at LIV."
Brooks Koepka will step away from LIV Golf in 2026 after an uneasy alliance that never matched his appetite for top-level glory. He appeared unhappy in the LIV environment and has acknowledged injury fears influenced his decision to join. Koepka captained LIV’s Smash GC, but his exit represents a reputational and competitive setback for the Saudi-backed tour. Earlier high-profile signings such as Jon Rahm had fueled talk of tour amalgamation, yet that outcome now seems less likely. The PGA Tour has grown emboldened, framing itself as the superior competitive and lucrative arena for elite golfers.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]