Why Is LIV Golf Jeddah a Must Win for Defending Champs Brooks Koepka and the Smash GC Boys?

The golf world had seen its fair share of hype from the season-ending FedEx Cup of the PGA Tour. But now, tensions are building up as its Saudi counterpart, LIV Golf, is witnessing its final event of the regular season in Jeddah. However, it would be none other than Brooks Koepka and his team, who would be facing the heat of the situation.

The American-led team would be aiming to clinch a win at the Jeddah event. Moreover, the upcoming tournament would prove to be a must-win for the group, not to mention how one of the positions of the members of Smash GC would be under constant perusal!

Brooks Koepka and his team’s precarious situation

The Koepka-led squad, including Jason Kokrak, Matthew Wolff, and Chase Koepka, has had a bumpy year of sorts in 2023 with just a single top 3 finish coming off from the LIV Golf event in Orlando. Moreover, the tournament was the only event that saw a Smash GC member topping the scoreboard. The team would be hoping to replicate the victory at the Royal Greens Golf Club.

With the team currently in the 8th position in the 2023 standings, they would need to pull off a stunning performance in order to come out on top. Moreover, the group would be making their appearance as the defending champions of the event, following their win in the 2022 edition of the tournament.

However, the skipper’s younger brother would be finding himself in a dicey situation. Chase Koepka has only mustered 3 top 15 finishes and that too in the inaugural year. On top of that, the 29-year-old is currently placed at 47th in the rankings, leading him to be in danger of being relegated in 2024 through the ‘Drop Zone’ after the event in Jeddah.

However, everything would turn out fine for Koepka and his boys, especially his sibling if he and the team manage to pull off a stunning performance. A similar one to that of Jeddah in 2022 and Orlando in 2023.

Koepka and his team’s win over the years

The 2022 victory saw the skipper going toe-to-toe with then-teammate Peter Uihlein as the latter led the game for around 36 holes. Nevertheless, a set of bogeys from Uihlein coupled with some birdies by the 2023 PGA Championship winner pushed the latter to register a score of 12-under to tie the score with his squad mate.

He eventually won on the third playoff hole, claiming his first title in more than a year all the while leading his team to a win.

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But the captain’s triumph in Orlando in 2023 did not entail a team’s victory. Koepka scored a total of 15-under 198 over the three days to lift the cup. But Smash GC could only finish as the runner-up with a score of 35-under.

Do you think Koepka and his teammates would be able to finish safely for 2024? Share your thoughts below.

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