6 days Ago By Mark Whiley
Brooks Koepka's LIV Golf team could be in for a significant reshuffle in 2025. Despite Koepka's Smash GC squad finishing fourth in the team standings, they faltered at the Team Championship finale in Dallas, coming last as Cam Smith's Ripper GC clinched the title. Koepka himself performed admirably, securing fifth place in the individual money list after bagging just over £9.
5m ($11.6million). However, there is a sense that Smash ranks could have done better, given the calibre of a team that also boasts Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell.
With major changes potentially on the horizon, here's how Koepka's dream line-up could shape up next year...
Gooch back to his best Gooch had a reasonable year, ending 16th on the list with £4.9m ($6.2m).
However, having topped the individual rankings in 2023, he will regard that as a disappointment. At 33, the Oklahoma native should still have his prime years ahead of him. A return to his 2023 form will make Smash a formidable force in 2025.
McDowell shown the door To say 2024 was a significant 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 and a hefty £98,000 ($125,000) fine for violating anti-doping rules after using a Vicks nasal spray for cold symptoms. His position is hanging by a thread after failing to finish inside top 24 - the so-called Open Zone - with Koepka potentially poised to cut ties. Continuity call Kokrak, who narrowly missed the top 24, finishing in 25th place, might be retained.
If McDowell is ousted, keeping the powerful Kokrak could prove to be a smart move in the name of continuity. Finau flies in Should McDowell face the chop, Koepka may eye a blockbuster move for Tony Finau, a PGA Tour heavyweight. Finau has previously flirted with the idea of joining LIV and is known to be close with Koepka, fuelling rumours of a possible switch.
In 2023, Finau expressed to TMZ his fondness for Koepka, calling him "one of my closest guys on tour". The outcome of merger discussions between the financiers of LIV and the PGA and DP World Tours will be crucial. Despite reports of a £1billion breakthrough deal, golf followers are still awaiting an official announcement that could put an end to the sport's long-standing internal conflict.
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