Koepka reportedly getting major champ as new Smash teammate
Brooks Koepka is reportedly getting a new teammate.
Smash GC, the four-man LIV Golf franchise that Koepka captains, teased a team announcement for Tuesday morning, and according to The Telegraph’s James Corrigan, the news is that Graeme McDowell will be joining Koepka’s squad next season.
The 44-year-old McDowell competed this past season for Cleeks GC, which finished 10th out of 12 teams in points. McDowell was 42nd in points individually, just behind former teammate Bernd Wiesberger, who has recently opted to re-join the DP World Tour.
The Telegraph report stated that while Wiesberger’s contract called for LIV to pay off his £1.5 million DPWT fines, McDowell’s initial two-year deal contained no such clause. So, when Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer decided not to retain McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion would have been relegated to the Asian Tour had Koepka not picked him up to replace his younger brother, Chase Koepka, who was relegated.
Corrigan cited a LIV insider as saying, “I’m not sure McDowell can believe his luck. Obviously, all was not rosy on the Cleeks and with G-Mac and Kaymer. [McDowell] thought he was out of LIV and would have to be participating on the Asian Tour next year. Playing alongside Koepka, probably the best player on LIV, is a massive result for him.”
Smash’s roster now features Koepka, McDowell, Jason Kokrak and Matt Wolff, though Wolff is almost certainly to be moved to another team before the start of next season following his much-publicized tiff with Koepka.
Cleek is left with two spots to fill alongside Kaymer and Richard Bland.