Brooks Koepka told by tour pro: You don't know where you stand

English tour pro Eddie Pepperell stands by his assertions the fields aren't deep enough in LIV Golf for players like Brooks Koepka to know where he stands.

Ben Smith

07 May 2024

English tour pro Eddie Pepperell has maintained the fields in the LIV Golf League aren't deep enough for Brooks Koepka to truly know where he stands ahead of his PGA Championship defence.

Pepperell made the comments in the latest episode of The Chipping Forecast with Iain Carter and Andrew Cotter.

They discussed Koepka's latest win - his first as a father - in Singapore where the American held off a charging Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman for his fourth overall victory on the breakaway tour.

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Importantly for Koepka, the win came just a week before the second major of the year at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Koepka picked up his fifth major win last May at Oak Hill Country Club and will attempt to defend over 16-19 May.

"I mean, obviously, any time he turns up at a major in remotely good form he is going to contend, particularly a major like the PGA Championship," Pepperell told the pod.

"On your point about how much does a win means on LIV... I mean, winning does always mean something but that being said, I think I read or heard that was his fourth win on LIV which is probably more than he has won on the PGA Tour.

"I think he's clearly finding winning easier on LIV than he did on the PGA Tour. [You can] take from that what you want."

Pepperell was actually incorrect with his assertion that he's already won more on LIV compared to the PGA Tour.

Koepka won nine times on the PGA Tour before he departed for the riches of LIV Golf in 2022.

He also won seven times on the European Tour in the earlier part of his career and also picked up two victories on the Japan Golf Tour.

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"I still maintain the field aren't deep enough on LIV for players like Brooks Koepka to truly know where they are standing going into a major when you are coming up against the Scottie Schefflers of the world," added Pepperell.

"But that being said, I expect him to be there or thereabouts at Valhalla."

Koepka heads into the PGA Championship after a disappointing performance at the 2024 Masters where he was a complete non-factor.

He made the cut but ultimately finished in a tie for 45th.

Clearly, he wanted to go one better than his 2023 runner-up finish to Jon Rahm.

Koepka later described his performance at Augusta National as 'embarrassing' and it even led to him making an apology to his team.

After winning in Singapore over the weekend, he insisted his swagger was back.

"I think the big thing that kind of separates me is my ability to lock in and go someplace where I think a lot of guys can't go," he said.

Koepka will be joined by 10 other LIV players in the field at the PGA Championship.

Over the weekend, Talor Gooch and David Puig reportedly received invites by the PGA of America.

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