LIV has the best golfer in the world as well as the best golfer of this generation.
We wrote Brooks Koepka up in our PGA preview and stated that we thought he was the most talented golfer in the world when he was healthy and on. Back before the Masters, we were seeing signs that he was returning to form. If you watched Full Swing on Netflix it was a real question if he ever could. Physically he was still recovering, but mentally he seemed like a broken golfer. Clearly, that confidence and swagger that led him to four majors and one of the most dominant stretches in recent golf is back now.
This is a good example of that winning his fifth Major Championship to step out as the greatest golfer of this generation separating himself from Rory McIlroy.
There was some question about if the competitiveness of LIV golf really prepares golfers to win major championships. I thought while there was an element of truth to it, it was overstated. For a guy like Brooks Koepka with 5 more years of exemptions in his pocket now, he probably will benefit from less of a grind the PGA demands. The lighter schedule with his injury history probably is a good thing.
| Majors | Major 2nd’s | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus* | 18 | 19 | 3 |
| 2 | Tiger Woods* | 15 | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | Walter Hagen | 11 | 3 | |
| 4 | Ben Hogan* | 9 | 6 | |
| 4 | Gary Player* | 9 | 6 | |
| 6 | Tom Watson | 8 | 8 | |
| 7 | Harry Vardon | 7 | 5 | |
| 7 | Bobby Jones | 7 | 6 | |
| 7 | Gene Sarazen* | 7 | 4 | |
| 7 | Sam Snead | 7 | 8 | |
| 7 | Arnold Palmer | 7 | 10 | |
| 12 | Lee Trevino | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | Nick Faldo | 6 | 3 | |
| 12 | Phil Mickelson | 6 | 12 | 1 |
| 15 | Brooks Koepka | 5 | 4 | |
| 15 | James Braid | 5 | 4 | |
| 15 | John Henry Taylor | 5 | 7 | |
| 15 | Byron Nelson | 5 | 6 | |
| 15 | Peter Thomson | 5 | 3 | |
| 15 | Seve Ballesteros | 5 | 3 | |
| 20 | Ernie Els | 4 | 6 | |
| 20 | Rory McIlroy | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Brooks is back and working his way up this list. Having just turned 33 on May 3rd and the form he has regained things could very well get interesting this next decade. Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Tom Watson all seem very much in play.
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