Brooks Koepka Is Having Enjoyable Once more. All He Needed to Do Was Go away LIV Golf.

Brooks Koepka has discovered his love for golf as soon as once more.

Competing in South Carolina this weekend on the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, Koepka shot a 64 in Saturday’s third spherical to vault himself into rivalry heading into Sunday. He completed the spherical with a 29 on the again 9—his first time breaking 30 on the PGA Tour since 2019.

Entering Sunday, Koepka is tied for seventh place at 11-under par, 5 strokes behind the chief Mark Hubbard. He says he hasn’t had this a lot enjoyable enjoying the sport since successful the PGA Championship in 2023 at Oak Hill Country Club.

“That’s the most excited I’ve been playing golf in a long, long time,” Koepka said Saturday after capturing a 64 at Dunes Golf & Beach Club. “I can tell you that much. It’s been a long time since I’ve had fun playing golf. It’s been at least a year. I was very frustrated last year, just wasn’t in a good place.

“It’s like anybody. If they’re happy off the golf course, they’re going to play well on the golf course. I think that’s a huge piece of it. I’ve found that. I’ve re-found my happiness, my love for the game. All the pieces are connected. Now, I’ve just got to go out and go play.”

HARIG: 6 Burning Questions As LIV Golf Fights to Survive

Koepka departed the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in the summertime of 2022, bluntly explaining that he left “for the dough.” Koepka says he landed a signing bonus of over $100 million to take action. He spent over three years on the Saudi-backed golf tour and received one among his 5 profession majors in that span—the 2023 PGA Championship—however grew to become annoyed as his recreation slipped the longer he competed in LIV.

It seems the soulless cash seize that LIV Golf proved to be (and at all times was) didn’t assist his recreation … or his love for it.

When Koepka introduced he was departing LIV to rejoin the PGA Tour again in December, he mentioned he was leaving to spend extra time together with his household at dwelling. His reinstatement was authorised and he agreed to pay the hefty worth—each financially and competitively, as he has to earn his approach into the PGA Tour’s signature occasions shifting ahead.

NEXT: LIV Golfers Are Quietly Planning Their Next Moves

Koepka now’s off the LIV Golf grind, spending extra time with household and competing on the world’s premier golf circuit as soon as once more. Everything is coming collectively because the 2026 PGA Championship approaches subsequent week.

“I’m super excited,” Koepka mentioned of the PGA Championship. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I feel like I’ve been knocking on the door. It’s very close. It’s one piece here, one piece there. Short game wasn’t there at Augusta. … Short game now is starting to come around.”

The PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., begins Thursday. When he tees off, Koepka shall be swinging with that rediscovered swagger and enthusiasm that catapulted him to the highest of the sport earlier than time with LIV.

---

More from Sports Illustrated