The four-time major champion seems to enjoying life back among his PGA Tour friends and rivals alike at Augusta. Matt Chivers explains
We already know of subtle whispers that Brooks Koepka has buyer’s remorse about moving to LIV Golf, but did he just confirm as much at the Masters?
After surging into a solo lead at the top of the leaderboard, Koepka discussed his physical health and well-being compared with previous weeks at Augusta National.
“When the knee was messed up, I was afraid to get back on it to load it, my right side – it was more of a stack and tilt,” Koepka said. “I was just getting the left side and then back up out of it.
“The awkward lies were not fun. But now it’s so much easier to be able to load, and get that full turn or rotation going back.”
And then he was asked a key question: If you had been as healthy as you are right now, would the LIV decision have been more challenging?
“Honestly, yeah,” he replied without hesitation. “If I’m being completely honest.”
Then, perhaps sensing he had been too honest, he added: “But I’m happy with the decision I made.”
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Koepka joined LIV Golf in June 2022 and in his last season on the PGA Tour he missed seven cuts in 16 events which equalled the number of weekends he missed between 2016 and 2019.
His win at the LIV Orlando event last week represented an up-turn in form and attitude, but his dominance at the halfway stage of the Masters is a clear glimpse of the man who won four majors in a flash.
One could be forgiven that this version of Koepka was long-gone, with his missed cut at the International Series event in Oman on the Asian tour earlier this season being the strongest signal.
But he told us he wanted to battle with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at the first men’s major of the year and he is doing much more than that.
Koepka became just the fourth player in history to open the Masters with consecutive rounds of 67 or better as he chases the third chapter of a potential career grand slam.
