Matthew Wolff ‘heartbroken’ by LIV captain Brooks Koepka's public attack
LIV London began at the Centurion club on Friday in jaw-dropping scenes with Matthew Wolff declaring that he is “heartbroken” and “beyond disappointed” after a brutal public put-down by his team captain, Brooks Koepka.
Even by LIV’s standards, this controversy is extraordinary. On Thursday, Koepka unashamedly took his fellow American to task. “I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” Koepka told Sports Illustrated.
“I’m not a big fan of that. It’s very tough to have even a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him – a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”
Koepka was referring to Wolff’s performance in Washington DC in May, when he withdrew going into the final round, having stood at 46th in the 48-man field after 36 holes. Koepka apparently instructed his three Smash GC colleagues - comprising Wolff, Jason Kokrak and brother Chase Koepka – to undertake morning workouts in the capital.
Koepka, who won the USPGA that month, was disgusted in the attitude of Wolff – the 24-year-old who made history by finishing in the top five in his first two majors – and the young Californian was removed from the Team Smash website. However, there were no other gaps on any of the other 11 LIV teams so Wolff was forced to stick with Koepka - and vice versa - but his results have hardly improved. He finished 44th in Spain on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Wolff was so devastated at Koepka’s remarks to the iconic US sports magazine that he released a statement before the shotgun start on Friday afternoon.
“I read the SI interview with our captain Brooks Koepka and it was beyond disappointing to me,” he said. “When I chose to join his team in 2023, I did so with much optimism about my new home as part of Team Smash and equally as important the chance to be around and learn from a player of Brooks’s stature.
“Like everyone who has ever played the game at the highest level, I have had competitive moments in the past that I feel I have let myself down and even others in our new team environment. This has been quite difficult for me.”
Wolff took two months away from the sport after being disqualified at the 2021 Masters. “I just wanted to stay in my bed and not be in front of everyone and not screw up in front of everyone,” he said later that year, revealing that the pressure had been overwhelming.
No doubt the multi-million dollar deal was one of the principal factors in his switch to LIV, but he also believed the team environment would be beneficial for his mindset.
‘It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader’
“My challenges on and off the golf course with my mental health has been well documented,” Wolff continued in the statement. “I deal with those challenges every day. However, while my 2023 season has not been all I had hoped for to this point, I have made positive strides in managing my life and feel Iike my game is turning for the positive.
“To hear through the media that our team leader has given up on me is heartbreaking. It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader, and I think we all know these comments should have been handled much differently. But I’m moving forward and won’t ever give up on myself. While on-course results may not appear now to be positive indicators, I’m trying to win an even bigger game with my life.”
Wolff must have been close to pulling out from the £20 million event in Hemel Hempstead, but he decided to press on through the awkwardness, going out from the eighth tee with Chase Koepka and Kokrak. Brooks Koepka went off the second alongside Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
Unsurprisingly, Wolff and Koepka shooting two-over and level par respectively, trailing Cam Smith’s eight-under 63.
“Finally, I trust Brooks wants what is best for our team,” Wolff said. “But it’s hard to imagine his comments in his recent SI interview in any way line up with those priorities. This will be my last comment on this matter. I’m heading out today to the Centurion Club trying to help our team win this week. I appreciate everyone’s continued support and your respect for my privacy.”
