Brooks Koepka hasn’t minced words in 2025 about his thoughts on the direction of LIV Golf.
Last month, he didn’t shut down reports of rumors he wanted to leave the league, which is in its fourth year. “I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfill, and then we’ll see what happens,” Koepka said when asked about comments from Fred Couples, who said Koepka told him he wanted back on the PGA Tour.
On Wednesday ahead of 2025 LIV Golf Miami, Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were speaking with media at Trump Doral when they were asked where they thought the league was at and whether they thought changes needed to be made.
Koepka once again didn’t mince words about LIV Golf and its direction.
“I think we all hoped it would have been a little bit further along, and that’s no secret,” Koepka said. “No matter where you’re at, you always hope everything is further along.
“But they’re making progress, and it seems to be going in the right direction.”
The league has made positive steps this season, replacing Greg Norman as CEO with Scott O’Neil, who has experience running sports franchises in the United States. It also changed its format to make every score count every round, and its new TV deal with Fox Sports will really take shape this week, as the league will be on Fox’s main channel all three rounds.
LIV to play its first 2025 event in the U.S. in Miami
It’s also the first time this year LIV has been in the U.S., with its first four events in Asia and Australia. Meaning, it’s the first time the league will go head-to-head against the PGA Tour in 2025. All of this a week before the Masters, and plenty of folks will be paying attention to how many fans tune in to the action at Trump Doral.
“I’d say that’s a Scott question,” DeChambeau said to the same question. “Scott O’Neil will take a stab at that. We don’t know everything that’s going on, but from what we’ve heard, there’s a lot of positive growth and positive momentum from a sponsorship side.
“I’d say from a golf course side we’re playing golf courses that are somewhat easier right now, and I think it’s getting more difficult as the season goes on. I hope we can continue to play some more difficult golf courses, but as our fourth year, look, it’s a startup. It’s still four years in, and we’re working towards what we’ve always believed in this league is this team golf, and we’re still individuals playing stroke play events, but there’s a team component, which is really cool.”
One of LIV Golf’s issues is Koepka, who has the most individual wins on the circuit with five, has seemingly had a foot out of the door all year and hasn’t said anything to act like that isn’t the case. LIV Golf’s biggest personalities, like DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, are known more for what they’re doing off course and away from the league than they’re doing while competing in the 54-hole, shotgun start events.
This is a big week for LIV Golf. Unification talks have slowed significantly since the early part of the season, and a lot will be made about how big (or small) the TV numbers will be following LIV Golf Miami.
LIV Golf has taken steps to make itself more formidable in the short and long term, especially in the U.S. market. But when one of its biggest faces continually puts down his own product, even with its faults, it doesn’t give much to be encouraged about for fans who are on the fence about watching the league.
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