Brooks Koepka rages at himself after PGA Tour season ends early: "Pretty pathetic"

Brooks Koepka says it is "pretty pathetic" he failed to qualify for the play-offs in his first season back on the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf.

Koepka, 36, returned to the North American circuit in January after leaving the breakaway tour several months before his contract officially expired.

The five-time major champion made a sensational return to the PGA Tour through a hastily enacted returning member programme after making a phone call to Tiger Woods.

Under the terms of his return, Koepka had to play his way into the tour's bigger events, including the play-offs, but fell short of the latter after a disappointing week at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

"Pretty disappointed," he told reporters. "I think it's pretty pathetic that I can't get through. Zero top-10s basically in two years.

"To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that's very pathetic, disappointing.

"Just need to go home and completely re-evaluate everything."

Koepka began the week 86th in the FedEx Cup standings and needed a share of fourth to have any chance of breaking into the top 70 and advancing to next week's FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

He finished at 3-under par after rounds of 67, 66, 74 and 70.

The result means Koepka will miss the FedEx Cup play-offs, but he confirmed it will not be the last we see of him in 2026.

"I'm going to go play a couple events in Europe and then maybe a couple later ones in the fall," he said.

Asked to sum up his return to the PGA Tour, Koepka said: "It's been great. Honestly, I've loved it. I feel fantastic.

"The reception's been great. Overall happiness is 10 out of 10 and just excited."

Koepka was among the first wave of players to be recruited by LIV Golf in June 2022. 

It's understood that he joined the league for a figure north of $100m. 

As captain of Smash GC - which has since re-branded to Oklahoma GC - Koepka won five titles in the LIV Golf League. 

He became the first LIV Golf player to win a major at the 2023 PGA Championship. 

But he has been far from his imperious best in the years since, with Koepka failing to mount a serious challenge for his sixth major title. 

The 2026 men's major season was also frustrating for Koepka. 

He shared 12th place at The Masters, finished 55th at the PGA Championship and missed the cut at the U.S. Open. He finished T28 at The Open. 

Rumours began to emerge last Christmas that Koepka was unhappy at LIV Golf. 

Koepka later told of how he rang Woods, 50, on 23 December after he was released from his contract. 

He has vowed to never explain the conditions of his LIV exit. 

"I've always had a good relationship with Tiger," Koepka previously explained. 

"That was what I wanted to do once I had the opportunity to, I guess, get reinstated on the PGA Tour.

"It was exciting and I kind of really didn't know what to do. That was the first person that kind of came to mind."

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. 

He shared 56th spot and missed the cut the following week at the WM Phoenix Open. 

Putting has been a major theme and Koepka has been candid about his struggles on the greens. 

"I feel like I've been playing well, the results just haven't been there, mainly because of the putter," he said. 

Koepka said at times this season his ball-striking has been as good as it was when he won four majors between 2017-2019.