The LIV Asian swing drew to a close in Singapore, with Joaquin Niemann emerging triumphant in his second win of the 2025 season. The 26-year-old golfer reflected positively on his performance, stating that everything went his way that day. But not all shared Niemann’s joy, as the golfing giant Brooks Koepka let a $4 million opportunity slip through his fingers.
Koepka’s performance at the Sentosa Golf Club was undeniably strong, with scores of 67-69-65 in all three rounds. Yet, he fell short of the top spot, settling for the runner-up position. The golfer’s dissatisfaction was palpable in a post-game press conference, where he admitted, “Yeah, not really hitting it great, but kind of tried to figure out how to finish second because first was obviously out of reach.”
Koepka’s last round involved a couple of pitfalls as he bogeyed on the 13th and 15th holes, yet he managed to recover with two birdies on the 16th and 18th and a par on the 17th. Niemann, on the other hand, finished the final round with an impressive 6 birdies and maintained an even par for the rest.
Koepka confessed to a lack of comfort in his setup and approach, which he believed affected his performance. He decided to go back to the basics, focusing on a spot six inches ahead of the ball for the last six holes, a tactic he hadn’t employed earlier in the day. He admitted, “The start line was off. If I don’t feel comfortable with my start line, I’ll never hit it good.”
Koepka, who bagged his first win in Singapore in 2024 and holds the record for the most LIV Golf wins (5), hasn’t had the best of seasons this year. Rumors about his potential exit from LIV Golf have been circulating, fueled by his vague statement about his future after his contract expires in 2026: “I don’t know where I am going.”
These speculations have been met with defenses from both Scott O’Neil and Jerry Foltz, while his interaction with Tiger Woods’s TGL team has only added fuel to the rumor mill. Despite his past successes, including two wins and four top-10 finishes at LIV events last year, Koepka’s current season has been marred with disappointing finishes.
His track record for this season includes just one top-10 finish in his previous three starts before Singapore. His last finish in Hong Kong (T35) was met with more criticism than praise. Koepka’s team, Smash GC, hasn’t been performing well either, falling behind rivals and finishing 8th in Singapore.
Koepka, a leader deeply involved with his team, admitted that the team format adds to the pressure. He candidly shared, “Instead of letting me and Rick down and my coaches, I feel like I’ve let three other guys and their caddies and their coaches and everybody else down.” Despite the mounting pressures, there are signs of Koepka returning to form, as seen in his performance in Singapore. Whether he and his team can maintain this upward trajectory for the rest of the season, only time will tell.
