Fans of Smash GC may breathe a sigh of relief. The LIV Golf team led by Brooks Koepka has not had a great season. Apart from two wins in Las Vegas and Greenbrier, the side was not been able to rack up enough points to rise up the table. They ended the season 4th place, nearly 20 points behind Rippers GC.

Brooks Koepka tried to push his team to perform better by giving great individual performances. However, the remaining players were not able to keep up with the challenges presented by the other teams. This has led to a cloud of uncertainty among the players as they are not sure if they will be picked by Koepka for next season.

One of Koepka’s teammates in particular has had a lot of concerns about his place in the side. The individual in question is the 45-year-old pro, Graeme McDowell. The 2010 U.S. Open Championship winner has been underperforming throughout the season. His best finish came in Houston, Texas, where he finished tied for 6th. What’s more? A few weeks later, he was hit with another controversy that put his position under threat.

In August 2024, during the LIV Golf Greenbrier event, Graeme McDowell was caught in a doping incident. The committee led by Greg Norman banned the veteran golfer from the remainder of the tournament. This caused a lot of distress in the Smach GC camp.

It was almost certain that Graeme McDowell would be kicked out by Brooks Koepka, or so we thought. As confirmed by @flushingitgolf in a post on their X account, the Irish pro has received a contract extension from Smash GC. He will be a part of the team in the 2025 season that begins in February. The tweet also confirmed that Brooks Koepka has not made any changes to the squad for next season.

This may come as a surprise to many as rumors of McDowell’s exit had been circulating for a few weeks now. But it seems that Brooks Koepka has followed the same strategy as his fellow LIV Golf pro and captain of the Rippers GC, Cameron Smith.

It was presumed that Greg Norman’s favorite child; Cameron Smith was going to make a major change to his squad for the 2025 season. The teammate in question was Matt Jones, who didn’t have a great season as well. However, reports from a few hours ago had confirmed that the Rippers GC squad will remain unchanged.

It’s great news for the clubs, its players, and fans as well. But all is not well elsewhere in LIV Golf.

Koepka and Smith didn’t follow Justin Thomas’s footsteps

Another report had suggested that 4 Aces GC’s captain, Justin Thomas was out shopping when he reached the RangeGoats GC’s store. As per sources, Thomas has picked up Thomas Pieters for his squad for the 2025 season. Being the most dominant team in LIV Golf since its inception, it’s understandable why Thomas & co. would react this way after one bad finish. The two-time LIV Golf season champions are surely going in for the money in 2025 and it seems that Thomas Pieters is their choice of weapon.

But, the question remains, who will he replace? Well, the newsroom states that Pat Perez, whose contract with 4 Aces GC will run its course in January 2025, will be dropped to make their place for the Belgium pro golfer, Pieters.

What do you think about these changes? Do you think Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith made the right decision for their respective teams? And as Justin Thomas struck gold with Thomas Pieters? Share your views in the comments section.