CROMWELL, Conn. ( Associated Press) — One of the first players to denounce a rival league of just 48 players, Brooks Kepka has become the latest PGA Tour player to sign with the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf series, the Associated Press has learned.
A person briefed on Koepka’s decision told the Associated Press that he would still be able to compete on the PGA Tour as long as he doesn’t throw at LIV Golf. The man spoke on condition of anonymity without permission to speak on behalf of the tour.
Koepka’s decision was first reported by the British Daily Telegraph.
Koepka remained on the field for the Traveler’s Championship, although he was not at the players’ meeting on Tuesday morning at the TPC River Highlands. The next LIV Golf event kicks off June 30 near Portland, Oregon.
Kopka was the second player, after Rory McIlroy, to speak out against a rival league in March 2020 when he told the Associated Press, “I find it hard to believe that golf should only have 48 players.”
“Money will not change my life,” Koepka said at the time.
The proposed rival league was different from LIV Golf, introduced as the “Premier Golf League” but still reliant on Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Greg Norman and LIV Golf have embraced the idea of 48 man pitches, no cuts with the team component.
LIV Golf did not announce the signing of Koepka amid rumors that more people would soon join them. ESPN Deportes reported over the weekend that Mexico’s Abraham Unser had also signed. Ancer is ranked 20th in the world with one PGA Tour win.
Koepka made LIV Golf famous for his four major titles – back-to-back US Open (2017-18) and PGA Championship (2018-19), though his game has since been in decline due to a series of injuries.
His last win was the Phoenix Open in February 2021 and he dropped to 19th in the world. He missed out on the Masters in this year’s Majors and finished outside the top 50 at the PGA Championship and the US Open.
___
More Associated Press golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed without permission.
