Brooks Koepka’s Smash Golf Club team may look very different in 2025 after a disappointing LIV Golf campaign in 2024 with a major shake-up potentially on the cards
Brooks Koepka’s LIV Golf team could be set for a major reshuffle in 2025.
Despite Koepka’s Smash GC squad finishing fourth in the team standings, they had a disappointing finish at the Team Championship finale in Dallas, coming last as Cam Smith’s Ripper GC clinched the title.
Koepka led from the front, securing fifth place in the individual money list after bagging just over £9.5million ($11.6m). However, there’s a sense within the Smash ranks that they could have done better, considering the calibre of a team that also includes Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell.
With significant changes possibly on the horizon, here’s how Koepka’s dream line-up could look next year…
Gooch back to his top form
Gooch had a decent season, ending up 16th on the list with £4.9m ($6.2m). However, after topping the individual rankings in 2023, he will see this year as a letdown.
At 33, the Oklahoma native should still have his best years ahead of him. A return to his 2023 form will make Smash a team to watch out for in 2025.
McDowell shown the door
To say 2024 was a huge disappointment for the former US Open champion would be putting it mildly. The Northern Irishman pocketed a relatively modest £2.5m ($3m), finishing 33rd in the money list.
The former Ryder Cup star didn’t just falter on the course; he also faced a ban from one event and a hefty £98,000 ($125,000) fine for violating anti-doping rules after using a Vicks nasal spray for cold symptoms.
McDowell’s future hangs in the balance after failing to crack the top 24, the so-called Open Zone, with the possibility of being dropped by Koepka looming over him.
Finau signs
Should McDowell be axed, Koepka might eye a blockbuster move for Tony Finau, a PGA Tour heavyweight who has flirted with the idea of joining LIV before.
Finau’s close bond with Koepka adds fuel to the fire regarding a potential switch, especially after Finau expressed to TMZ in 2023 how much he missed Koepka, calling him “one of my closest guys on tour”.
The outcome of merger discussions between LIV’s financiers and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will be crucial. Despite reports of a £1billion deal breakthrough, golf followers are still eagerly awaiting an official announcement that could finally put an end to the sport’s long-standing conflict.
Kokrak retained
Kokrak, who narrowly missed the top 24 cut-off, could remain on the team. Keeping the powerful hitter could be a sensible move for continuity, especially if McDowell is dropped.
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