Comments from Nick Faldo re-shared amid Brooks Koepka's departure from LIV Golf

Sir Nick Faldo may have nailed his Brooks Koepka prediction. 

The American announced two days before Christmas he was quitting LIV Golf despite having one year remaining on his contract. 

In doing so, the 36-year-old has become the first major champion to walk away from the PIF-backed league. 

LIV Golf's chief executive, Scott O'Neill, said the decision was "mutually agreed" so Koepka can "prioritise the needs of his family". 

Whilst that may be true, there is a general assumption that Koepka was extremely unhappy playing LIV Golf and believes his performances in the major championships were being adversely affected. 

Koepka had an extremely disappointing 2025 season, missing cuts in three of the four major championships and also failing to add to his four individual LIV Golf titles. 

His golf coach, Peter Cowen, recently revealed the extent of some of the dressing downs he has given Koepka over the years when he has endured difficult stretches. 

But Faldo - who also said Europe would win the Ryder Cup 15-13 two weeks before the biennial showdown - appears to have correctly predicted that Koepka was destined to struggle. 

Did Sir Nick Faldo nail his Brooks Koepka prediction?

Koepka joined LIV Golf in June 2022. 

His arrival was announced, by no coincidence, on the same day PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan spoke to reporters ahead of the Travelers Championship. 

At the time, Koepka claimed he joined LIV because he "needed a little bit more time off" after enduring a difficult few years battling a number of injuries. 

Chief of which was a serious knee issue that threatened to cut his career short. 

"I'd be the first one to say it's not been an easy last couple years," he said. 

"I think having a little more break, a little more time at home to make sure I'm 100% before I go play in an event and don't feel like I'm forced to play right away."

Faldo was among those to react to Koepka's decision which, at the time, came as a real surprise. 

Weeks before, Koepka blasted reporters at the U.S. Open, accusing media of throwing a "black cloud" over the tournament when he was asked if he would be joining LIV. 

"Brooks is a wonderful example of the challenge of playing the [PGA] Tour," Faldo said.

"He wins four majors, he's climbed his way up, last week he's saying 'get out my face, all I want to do is play golf and go win', but somebody then hit his number, and off he goes.

"I'm really surprised at that because I know when he's out there [at LIV Golf], it's a boatload of cash, it's a boatload of mandatory personal appearances. 

"I'm sure he’s going to find that gets very old, very quickly.

"You've got to enjoy what you do in life. You can't be standing on the golf course and thinking, 'I don't know the reason why I'm out here.' You just can't fake that.

"It's an important thing in life to know what you’re out there for, and you think, 'I love this. I really love it.' And I cannot see how these guys right now think it's a serious challenge."

What next for Brooks Koepka?

Brooks Koepka can still compete in the majors this season. 

He could potentially play a full schedule on the DP World Tour in Europe too. 

But a pathway back to the PGA Tour remains unclear. 

There are plenty of misconceptions over how the North American circuit deals with LIV players and issues suspensions. 

The PGA Tour deems LIV Golf events "unauthorised" and non-members are subject to one-year bans from their last start. 

This means that Koepka would not be permitted to return to the PGA Tour until this August at the earliest. 

It also appears the rules are different for players who were members of the PGA Tour. 

Former LIV recruit, Hudson Swafford, says he is subject to a five-year suspension. 

Over the last few weeks, several players have approached the topic of whether they would feel comfortable with the likes of Koepka returning.

Billy Horschel and Xander Schauffele offered diplomatic and non-committal responses.

Rory McIlroy told The Overlap he would not be against seeing the likes of Koepka, or even Bryson DeChambeau, playing on the PGA Tour again.