Brooks Koepka was a major part of the early stories in the United States that opened in Oakmont two weeks ago. Some thought he could see a return to form from a five-time major champion.
Koepka declined over the next three days, finishing a T12 at the age of six, but was the best show in the majors since winning the 2023 PGA Championship, showing a potential rise a few years later. The first round of Liv Golf Dallas quickly shattered Koepka’s hopes of bringing that performance to his next event. He made an early triple bogey at Maridow Golf Club on Friday, then yank the 9th left tee shot.
At that point, frustration erupted, and the Smash GC star slammed the driver into the ground and slammed the tee marker towards the gallery.
Koepka withdraws from the tournament after making a bogey on the 9th after that drive. The official Liv Golf communications account noted that their scores only count towards team competition, but if Koepka chooses, Koepka could still return this weekend.
Hopefully anyone who started that tee marker is fine (probably he somehow missed out on people there), but you’ll think that the action will get him some sort of responsibility or pause. I’ve seen a lot of frustration in clubs and tee markers before – Rory McIlroy destroyed one at the US Open – But hitting a fan standing by the teebox is especially bad.
Separately, golfers can return to the competition after withdrawal, but even if they count towards team play, this is a unique rule for LIV. Given how Koepka treated herself here, it’s hard to imagine that she’s too interested in returning to the course for the next two days.
