Brooks Koepka Wasn't Happy in LIV: More Cracks Emerge in the League as a Team Captain Opens Up
2025 Amgen Irish Open, The K Club, Kildare 5/9/2025 Brooks Koepka Brooks Koepka 5/9/2025 PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRLxFRAxNZL Copyright: x INPHO/TomxMaherx TEK_7864
2025 Amgen Irish Open, The K Club, Kildare 5/9/2025 Brooks Koepka Brooks Koepka 5/9/2025 PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRLxFRAxNZL Copyright: x INPHO/TomxMaherx TEK_7864
Was there more to Brooks Koepka’s mutual parting with LIV Golf?
While Brooks Koepka cited family reasons and a desire to stay closer to home as key factors behind his exit, Martin Kaymer believes the shift had been building for a while.
The two-time major champion Martin Kaymer told Golf Monthly it seemed clear Koepka wasn’t fully settled during his final stretch with LIV Golf, so Koepka’s decision didn’t surprise him.
Kaymer added that it’s hard to know what really led to the split, whether it was Koepka’s call or LIV’s, and that a lot of rumors are circulating.
BMW PGA, Golf Herren Championship 2025 Brooks Koepka on the 6th green during Round 2 at the BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England. 12/09/2025 Picture: Golffile Steve Flynn All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Steve Flynn Virgina Water Wenworth Club Surrey England Copyright: xStevexFlynnx *EDI*,
BMW PGA, Golf Herren Championship 2025 Brooks Koepka on the 6th green during Round 2 at the BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England. 12/09/2025 Picture: Golffile Steve Flynn All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Steve Flynn Virgina Water Wenworth Club Surrey England Copyright: xStevexFlynnx *EDI*,
"You don’t know the reasons behind it, but he [Koepka] clearly wasn’t the happiest player out here. So, again, from a human point of view, I hope he finds a bit more happiness where he is now," said Kaymer.
Five-time major champion Koepka won five times on LIV in his first few seasons, but his results fell off in 2025, and he finished 31st in the individual standings.
That placed Brooks Koepka in the “Open Zone,” where players avoid automatic relegation but still need to be re-signed by a team to keep a spot for 2026, which could have influenced his next move.
Reports also suggest Koepka wasn’t fully aligned with parts of the LIV setup, including player commitments, media duties, and travel.
Koepka is now set to rejoin the PGA Tour.
Martin Kaymer wishes Brooks Koepka well for the future
“I hope that he [Koepka] will feel comfortable where he is. I hope he’s happy because I could sense last year, you can see it in players, whether they are happy or not happy.”
Brooks Koepka is set to return to the PGA Tour through its newly introduced Returning Member Program. Koepka’s comeback is scheduled for the Farmers Insurance Open, which begins on January 29, 2026.
Koepka’s return also comes with financial terms. He is required to make a $5 million charitable contribution, with the recipients chosen jointly.
And Koepka will be ineligible for the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program for five years (2026–2030), which has been estimated as a $50–$85 million opportunity cost.
Koepka will also not be eligible for payments from the 2026 FedEx Cup Bonus Program.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu