Brooks Koepka Says Increased Recovery Time, Change of Opinion Spurred LIV Move

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Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka told reporters that a change in opinion and the chance for increased recovery time led to him leaving the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Koepka had previously pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour in February and claimed that “somebody will sell out and go for it” regarding LIV Golf.

“Just my opinion, man,” Koepka said Tuesday when asked about it.

Koepka notably did not want to speak about LIV Golf during the run-up to the U.S. Open, to the point where he said that reporters were casting a “black cloud” over the event for bringing up the topic.

It appears he’s jumping ship now, though, and he’s set to take part in LIV Golf’s next event at Pumpkin Ridge outside Portland, Oregon.

“My opinion changed,” Koepka said. “That was it. You guys will never believe me, but we didn’t have the conversation till everything was done at the U.S. Open and figured it out and just said I was going to go one way or another. Here I am.”

LIV Golf is only an eight-event series this year. It began June 9 and will run through October 30. The events are largely spread out save for one spot where there are back-to-back events in consecutive weeks in October.

That spacing apparently enticed Koepka to join LIV Golf, especially considering the numerous ailments (knee, hip, wrist) he suffered over the years.

“What I’ve had to go through the last two years on my knees, the pain, the rehab, all this stuff, you realize, you know, I need a little bit more time off,” Koepka said.

“I’ll be the first one to say it: It’s not been an easy last couple of years, and I think having a little more breaks, a little more time at home to make sure I’m 100 percent before I go play in an event and don’t feel like I’m forced to play right away [is good].”

Koepka now joins his brother, Chase, on LIV Golf. He’s one of seven players ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking to join LIV, including Patrick Reed, Kevin Na, Bryson DeChambeau, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and Dustin Johnson.