Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka is an American professional golfer who played predominantly on the PGA Tour until 2022 and has been active on the LIV Golf Tour since then. His greatest successes include five victories in major tournaments and reaching the top position in the world golf rankings in October 2018.

Koepka grew up in Palm Beach County on the Atlantic coast of Florida and played amateur golf at Florida State University in Tallahassee. His younger brother Chase is also a professional golfer.

Professional since 2012

In 2012, he started as a professional on the European Challenge Tour, where he won his first professional tournament in September 2012. Two further victories in 2013 earned Koepka the right to play on the European Tour. He has played on the American PGA Tour since 2014.

On February 1, 2015, Koepka won his first PGA Tour event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and moved up to 19th place in the official world rankings. At the 2015 Open Championship, Koepka improved from day to day and finished in 10th place with a final round of 68 on the Old Course in St. Andrews.

The following week, Koepka was tied fourth after 54 holes at the RBC Canadian Open, but a closing round of 74 dropped him to a tie for 18th at Glen Abbey Golf Course. He finished 6th at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and 5th at the 2015 PGA Championship. In 2015, he decided to give up his European Tour membership.

First major victory in 2017

Koepka tied for fourth place at the 2016 PGA Championship. In 2017, he won his first major championship by winning the U.S. Open title in Erin Hills, Wisconsin. With his victory, he set the record for the lowest U.S. Open score at 16 under (tied with Rory McIlroy's 2011 record).

Koepka had to undergo wrist surgery after the 2017 season and had hoped his recovery would be complete by the 2018 Masters tournament, but he had to withdraw his entry as he said he was only 80 percent fit.

After his recovery, he successfully defended his U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills. At the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, he won his third major, becoming only the fifth player and the first since Tiger Woods in 2000 to win the U.S. Open and the PGA title in the same year.

With his victory at the CJ Cup on October 21, 2018, Koepka moved up to number one in the official world golf rankings.

On May 19, 2019, he won the 2019 PGA Championship, becoming the first successful defender of the title since Tiger Woods in 2007. With his victory at this major championship, he regained the number 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

On July 28, 2019, Koepka won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He won 1,745,000 US dollars and secured the season-long Wyndham Rewards Top 10 Challenge and a further 2 million US dollars.

Knee injury in 2019

Koepka qualified for the 2019 Presidents Cup, but withdrew due to a knee injury and was replaced by Rickie Fowler on November 20, 2019.

In February 2021, Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. Koepka overcame a five-stroke deficit on the final day with a round of 65 at 6 under par. This was his second victory at this event.

Koepka underwent knee surgery on March 16, 2021. In May 2021, Koepka finished second at the 2021 PGA Championship. With a final round of 74, he finished two clubs behind Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest Major winner at the age of 50.

Player on the LIV Golf Invitational Series

In September 2021, Koepka played on the USA team at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The U.S. team won 19-9, and Koepka went 2-2-0, including a win in his Sunday singles match against Bernd Wiesberger. Koepka won the Nov. 26 match against rival Bryson DeChambeau at Wynn Las Vegas.

In June 2022, Koepka joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series and made his debut in Portland. He made this decision despite suggesting four months earlier that golfers would "sell out" if they joined LIV Golf. He was subsequently suspended from the PGA Tour for participating in the LIV Golf Invitational Series. In October 2022, Koepka won the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah in a play-off against Peter Uihlein to claim his first LIV Golf victory.

In April, Koepka won the LIV Golf Orlando event. The following week, he finished second at the 2023 Masters Tournament, four clubs behind Jon Rahm.

Third victory at the PGA Championship

In May, Koepka secured victory at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, becoming the first LIV Golf player to win a Major Championship. It was Koepka's fifth career Major win and his third PGA Championship. He became the 20th golfer to win five majors. Koepka became the third golfer to win three or more PGA Championships, after Jack Nicklaus (five wins) and Tiger Woods (four).

In September 2023, Koepka played on the United States team at the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia, Rome, Italy. The European team won 16.5-11.5 and Koepka went 1-1-1, including a win in his Sunday singles match against Ludvig Åberg.