Brooks Koepka quits LIV Golf for family reasons, Gooch to captain Smash GC in 2026
Statement from Brooks Koepka says he wants to spend more time at home. PGA Tour suspension could be lifted in September
Brooks Koepka, one of the LIV Golf originals, has quit the league ahead of the 2026 season, opening the door for a potential return to the PGA Tour.
The five-time major winner said he was leaving for family reasons in a statement released on Tuesday.
LIV Golf said the split was “amicably and mutually agreed”, adding that Talor Gooch would become the new captain of Smash GC, who Koepka had led since joining the breakaway tour in 2022.
“Brooks is prioritising the needs of his family and staying closer to home,” Scott O’Neil, the LIV Golf CEO, said. “We appreciate the significant impact he has had on the game and wish him continued success, both on and off the course.”
Koepka’s decision comes after his wife, Jena Sims, revealed in October she had suffered a miscarriage 16 weeks into her pregnancy.
Koepka’s tenure with LIV was laden with highs and lows. When he won the 2023 PGA Championship after spending most of his days playing in LIV’s comparatively non-competitive environment that featured 54-hole, no-cut tournaments, it gave LIV a big boost of credibility.