Brooks Koepka misses FedExCup Playoffs in first season back from LIV Golf: 'It's pretty pathetic'
Brooks Koepka is, understandably, frustrated.
Koepka officially wrapped up his first season back on the PGA Tour on Sunday with a final-round 70 at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. When he hit the clubhouse, he was tied for 68th at 3-under, nearly 20 shots back from the leaders at the time.
That finish means that Koepka, a five-time major championship winner who once topped the Official World Golf Rankings, will miss out on the FedExCup Playoffs entirely. Koepka is projected to finish well back from the top 70 in the season-long standings list. Only the top 70 in the FedExCup standings will make it into the field for next week's FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, which is the first of the three playoff events.
"I think it's pretty pathetic that I can't get through," Koepka said after his round at Sedgefield Country Club. "[I've had] 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."
Koepka left LIV Golf at the beginning of the year, and paid a steep price to return to the Tour. The Tour estimated that Koepka could miss out on up to $85 million in potential earnings, and he was limited in where he could play this season. He isn't eligible for the $100 million FedExCup bonus program this year, either. The 35-year-old was essentially starting from scratch on the Tour.
Koepka made the cut in 11 of his 16 starts on Tour throughout the year, and he had some very solid flashes of golf. He finished T12 at the Masters in April, for example, and his best finish came in the form of a T9 outing at the Cognizant Classic back in March. That was, though, Koepka's only top 10 finish since the 2023 season, which is when he finished second at the Masters and won the PGA Championship while still with LIV Golf.
Though his play wasn't where he wanted it to be, Koepka is thrilled with his decision to return to the Tour.
"It's been great. Honestly, I've loved it," he said. "I feel fantastic. The reception's been great. Overall, happiness is 10 out of 10 and just excited."
Now that Koepka's season is over, he said he is planning to play in a few events on the DP World Tour in Europe and then some Tour events in the fall. Specifics there are not yet known.
As for his game, especially around the greens, Koepka has some work to do.
"It's just all on the greens. I don't know what the deal is," he said. "[I've] got zero confidence, can't putt. I don't know.
"There's going to be a lot of changes here soon."
