Golf fans had become accustomed to seeing Brooks Koepka challenging to the very end in most major championships over the years, but those days are now long gone, it seems.
With five major titles to his name and being a former world number one, there’s no denying the immense quality Brooks Koepka has in his locker.
On his day, he’s still one of the very best in the game, but since his move to LIV Golf, we’ve seen far less of Koepka, and even less of his best golf.
There’s even been talk of Koepka potentially wanting to leave LIV and return to the PGA Tour, and after his latest showing at The Masters, it might well be the best move for this fallen icon.
Brooks Koepka was anonymous at Augusta National
Koepka is not one to shy away from criticism, so he’ll know his performance at Augusta National this weekend will be scrutinised.
The 34-year-old shot two over on Thursday, before a +3 on the Friday ended his Masters outing prematurely, with Koepka missing the cut. That failure has led to Rex Hoggard developing concerns about Koepka’s overall game and his form right now.
Hoggard said: “I mean missing the cut is difficult. You have to play really bad to miss the cut at The Masters. This is by far the easiest to do it and he didn’t even look particularly sharp.
“It is not as though it was close. It was not like he made a mess of the last hole and wasn’t around for the weekend. I think there is something off.”
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 72 |
| Score | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 74 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 72 |
| Score | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 75 |
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, with Hoggard insisting Koepka could well be back to his best again next month at the PGA Championship if things go his way.
He added: “Nobody turns it around quicker than Brooks. We have seen it time and time again throughout his career. He can show up at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship next month and something can click.
“But he has become, to a certain degree, a non factor in the major championships and that is more concerning to me. Because his career and identity is attached to those major championships.”
We are now a month away from the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, a tournament Koepka has won a whopping three times (2018, 2019, and 2023), and he will be looking to reassert himself there again this year.
After a strong 2023, Brooks Koepka has faded into obscurity
When Brooks Koepka made that high-profile switch to LIV in the summer of 2022, many expected his game to suffer as a result. But, he proved everyone wrong in that first year after the move.
He made himself the poster boy for LIV, and became the living proof that players could still compete on the biggest stages while competing away from the PGA Tour.
2023 saw Koepka secure a second-placed finish at The Masters behind Jon Rahm, as well as claiming victory at the PGA Championship shortly after, beating Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland by one stroke.
His displays sent shockwaves through the world of golf. Koepka was singlehandedly proving that LIV players still had value, and that they deserved a place in the majors.
Since then, though, Koepka has struggled to make an impact. He tied for 45th at The Masters last year, and failed to make the top-20 in the other three majors.
In the wake of that, Koepka said (via Sports Illustrated): “The whole year wasn’t quite as consistent as I wanted, and I think the bigger the event, the more pressure, the cracks kind of show, and it just wasn’t my year.
“But I’m trying to fix that. I feel like my game is in a lot better shape right now, and we’ll see where it’s at, obviously, next week.”
Not normally one to allow pressure to affect his game, it’s an odd admission from Koepka, but it’s clearly an issue that is still plaguing his play to this day. All eyes will now be on him next month to see if he can buck the trend.
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