Brooks Koepka’s exodus from LIV Golf before the 2026 season came as a shock to many. After the five-time major champion’s sudden decision, a popular golf analyst has called the breakaway tour ‘fragile’.
Koepka’s exit from LIV Golf was announced on December 23, and reportedly, the golfer was “prioritizing the needs of his family.” The professional golfer’s sudden decision caused a stir in the golf world, and popular analyst Dan Rapaport did not shy away from sharing his take.
Rapaport commented on the Saudi PIF-backed golf league’s ecosystem on X and further wrote on his timeline:
“Brooks leaving shines a light on how fragile LIV Golf really is. It’s all built on stars, there’s no real ecosystem that exists beyond them. Which is natural for a brand new league. But man. Now that Brooks is gone, like, what is Smash Golf Club?”
Take a look at Rapaport’s X post:
Brooks leaving shines a light on how fragile LIV Golf really is. It’s all built on stars, there’s no real ecosystem that exists beyond them. Which is natural for a brand new league. But man. Now that Brooks is gone, like, what is Smash Golf Club?
Brooks Koepka joined LIV Golf back in 2022, and he was one of the biggest names in the league. The 35-year-old played alongside Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, and Graeme McDowell in the Smash GC. His 2023 PGA Championship victory cemented his position as the first active LIV player to rack up a major win.
Brooks Koepka’s sudden exit from the league weeks before the 2026 season has drawn the attention of other golf analysts as well. The two-time US Open winner’s decision has led another popular and veteran golf analyst to criticize LIV Golf.
Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee shades LIV Golf after Brooks Koepka’s exit before the upcoming season
After Brooks Koepka departed from LIV Golf, the PGA Tour Communications released a statement on X, wishing the golfer continued success. Veteran golf analyst Brandel Chamblee, who is a vocal critic of LIV Golf, reposted the X post and slammed the league.
Chamblee labeled LIV as an “ephemeral, flamboyant make-believe tour” and wrote in his caption:
“Time has elevated the PGA Tour for what it is, the most competitive, legitimate and profitable tour in the world. Time has exposed the LIV tour for what it is, an ephemeral, flamboyant make-believe tour that can neither further the professional game nor the careers of the players who sacrificed their principles for profit in playing for the Saudis…”
Take a look at Chamblee’s X post:
Time has elevated the PGA Tour for what it is, the most competitive, legitimate and profitable tour in the world. Time has exposed the LIV tour for what it is, an ephemeral, flamboyant make-believe tour that can neither further the professional game nor the careers of the players
Chamblee has openly criticized LIV Golf on X several times over the past months, often engaging in back-and-forth comments with X users. In one of his old posts, he slammed the Tour’s old 54-hole format and “lack of competition” in the league.