A penny for Brooks Koepka’s thoughts as LIV Golf proves to be a sporting afterthought – The Irish Times

Determining Brooks Koepka’s exact thoughts is tricky. This is the person who barked at a slew of questions about his potential involvement in the breakaway LIV Tour ahead of last year’s US Open. As soon as Matt Fitzpatrick’s famed Brookline success had gathered dust, Koepka was introduced as an LIV recruit. Koepka’s earlier podium protest identified him as little more than a swindler.

Oh to be in Koepka’s mind now. When Scottie Scheffler returned to world No. 1 thanks to a dominant win at a packed Phoenix Open, focus immediately shifted to Tiger Woods’ performance at this week’s Genesis Invitational. Koepka had followed up a 46th place finish at the Saudi International with a missed cut at the Asian Tour in Oman. He was spared widespread ridicule only on the grounds that no one but die-hard fans and cheerleaders of Saudi’s dubious rush to golf actually knew these events were taking place.

When Koepka, 32, isn’t thinking about what he’s doing when he’s not the epitome of professional frustration, he damn well should be. All the spoiled money in the world cannot compensate for a slide into the meaninglessness of competition. This is a golfer who won four majors from 2017 to 2019. He was a figurehead, an athlete, a player who had enough vivacity to make him interesting. Nobody had heard of Scottie Scheffler.

Fast forward to 2023 and the indefatigable Woods, now 47, still speaks of mainstream tournament fame, while Koepka features in seedy videos promoting LIV’s team concept. He could be playing for the Range Goats, Rippers, Smashers, Bashers or Flashers, whatever interests everyone in the world. (Three of which are actually real names). Plans to support teams from multinational companies and thus at least partially cover exorbitant costs have not worked out. This comes as no shock – golf is not identified as a team sport, it holds no tribal or emotional appeal in that context.

It makes no sense that Koepka regrets his move to LIV. Of course not, just as no player involved in this scene – which continues next week in Mexico – has uttered a vaguely critical word about the Greg Norman-hosted tour. Absolute certainty is a staple of LIV, at least publicly. This all comes as executives leave, the cost of running events soars, the official world golf rankings continue to lock out LIV members and a court filing shows revenue was “virtually zero” in 2022. Any golfer in their right mind should ask questions, including to their own representatives. The most lavish honeymoon could race to a chaotic end. The PGA Tour’s immense focus on star names means high-profile moves to LIV are over.

Omnipresent from Bay Hill to the Bahamas when the Saudis were trying to break into golf, Majed al-Sorour provides an intriguing case. Sorour remains a board member of Newcastle United. However, he was recently replaced as managing director of Golf Saudi and is no longer a director of Performance54, a British company essentially annexed by the Kingdom and now at the helm of all things LIV. Sorour’s sharp departure from the front line of something he was so closely associated with should raise eyebrows. Norman remains in position, but he’s not considered more than a figurehead by anyone who knows LIV’s sanctum.

Last week a grueling sports arbitration took place in London between the DP World Tour and some of them who have jumped to LIV. The drama surrounding Rory McIlroy’s tournament in Dubai with Patrick Reed got viewers wondering if it would be a bad thing if Rebels were allowed to play in Europe.

Legal matters in the United States look far more relevant. Saudi’s public investment fund and its governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, have been fighting a discovery and escrow claim in the antitrust case between LIV and the PGA Tour. News on whether this was successful or not should be coming in shortly. A defeat – in a way – for the PIF and Rumayyan could not only have wider implications for their business interests in the US, but also reinforce the theory of “trouble” being caused by a game of golf consuming considerable resources and waves of negativity . The PGA Tour, a staple of America’s corporate world that believes LIV was trying to destroy its business, appears to have no reason for an agreement.

If all of that collapses, or even if you feel like you’re taking the wrong step, where would that leave Koepka? He started this week as the 78th golfer in the world, which implies an element of punishment. It also seems highly unlikely that the PGA Tour or DP World Tours would completely block the path of any player wishing to return to their platform. Still, there would need to be an element of penance, if only to appease a membership that doesn’t place much emphasis on individuals accepting the Petroleum Pound before returning to traditional tours. It was going to be a fascinating negotiation.

For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that Koepka is actually the captain of Team Smash. “I choose my own schedule regardless of what tour I play,” he claimed during that infamous media conference last June. So he “chosen” Oman? He can unsubscribe from any LIV competition? Insert your own punchline here.

A website blurb reads, “Smash brings the power—and bundles of it!” Not exactly eye-opening novel stuff. This feels like a metaphor for what Koepka has been reduced to. It would be an overstatement to portray the PGA Tour as the perfect setting. However, it manages to make LIV and its protagonists seem like sporting afterthoughts as a crucial second season begins. – Guardian