Brooks Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf sent shockwaves through the golf world. The five-time major champion, who was one of the first big names to jump to the breakaway league in 2022, is now the first to step away before his contract expires.
Koepka’s exit had many rushing to the internet to offer their take on what it means for LIV’s future, professional golf’s ongoing civil conflict and Koepka’s professional future. Our Dylan Dethier did an in-depth breakdown of what we know and don’t here. The truth is that Koepka’s exit could end up meaning little at all in the grand scheme of things. He never fully attached himself to LIV like others have and has been open about how his injury issues in the early 2020s drove him to join the Saudi-backed league. This could just be Koepka being Koepka, doing what he wants with no grand meaning behind it.
While the full impact of Koepka’s exit won’t be determined for quite some time, it has already been felt by LIV’s biggest star: Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau’s contract with LIV runs through the end of the 2026 season. The two-time U.S. Open champion has been LIV’s biggest champion and has said that he wants to re-sign. But in a conversation with Flushing It, DeChambeau would not commit to a new deal being done before the 2026 season begins in February. Koepka’s decision to leave has, at the very least, added another wrinkle to the negotiations — changes the equation for LIV’s marquee name.
“It’s a scenario that is very unique,” DeChambeau told Flushing It. “With Brooks leaving, it definitely throws in some unique things. And look, I mean, like I’ve said all along, I want to do this, I want to grow team golf across the globe. But it has to be right. And there’s a lot of things that have to be done in order for it to be right, you know?
“Things have got to change. Things have got to improve. And I think [CEO Scott O’Neil] has done a fabulous job with the year that he’s had. And I think this year’s going to be even better, now he’s got the right people in place, and he can run the organization the way he wants to do this here. So it’s going to be interesting to see, especially with the new branding coming on. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens. I don’t run this thing at all. I don’t really have much say, to be honest with you. Which is funny, but it is what it is, right? And, you know, I sometimes wish I had more say, but that’s life and I don’t run the organization and I trust them to do that.”
DeChambeau wouldn’t divulge much on the status of the “confidential” contract negotiations. But as he said at the U.S. Open, he “knows his worth,” and after Koepka’s departure, it’s clear he knows his value. Almost everything in life is a negotiation, and Koepka’s decision has given Bryson DeChambeau leverage that he didn’t previously have in contract negotiations.
“The conversations are in process,” DeChambeau told Flushing It. “We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another. It is getting to a place that makes sense for both sides. And, I think that can happen, but you never know. Life throws curveballs and, obviously, we saw what happened today [with Brooks Koepka leaving] and that was quite a shock to a lot of people and something that, you know, it is what it is.
“People make decisions for whatever their needs and wants are and, ultimately, you have to respect it and move on and it feels like it was a mutual understanding and that’s great.”
As for Koepka’s professional future, GOLF’s Dylan Dethier learned that Koepka’s representatives gave the PGA Tour advanced notice of Koepka’s plans to leave LIV Golf. Koepka didn’t renew his PGA Tour membership after the 2022 season, so he’d have to reapply and then have the PGA Tour rule on any potential sanctions. PGA Tour pros who left for LIV Golf face suspension, but the exact length is uncertain and might vary by player.
Should Koepka reapply for membership, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp will have a big decision about how to handle Koepka’s return and whether to waive some or all of the punishments to make a return easier.
“I don’t know what they should allow or not,” DeChambeau told Flushing It about Koepka’s potential PGA Tour return. “If they’re going to be doing it by the book, they should do it by the book and not give any special exemption. But if there’s a special exemption, it definitely opens the doors for others to do the same, which, you know, it’s a slippery slope for sure.”
As our Sean Zak wrote, Koepka’s move has made him the most interesting figure in golf as the calendar flips to 2026, and we’ll soon find out how far the ripples of his decision reach.
