Koepka Defects And Faldo Retires

LIV gets its most prolific major winner. Plus, CBS will be saying goodbye to a retiring Nick Faldo and promoting Trevor Immelman.

Long time Quadrilateralitorians know this newsletter was born out of the belief that majors will be the next decade’s superstars. A toxic combo has been brewing: technology-aided parity, newfound wealth, injuries and a Stockholm Syndrome level of coddling. Throw in a lack of public rebukes for failed drug tests or general d-baggery, and the upper echelons will have more jerks than golf is used to.

Any rocket surgeon can see spot an excess of non-major product on the compacted schedule. And now there is obscene money to reward those bored by the grind of it all and who have no qualms about letting a spoiled, murderous autocrat launder golf to burnish his image. Turmoil and turnover will define the post-Tiger and Phil era.

Which made four-time major winner Brooks Koepka’s impending defection beautiful, deplorable and predictable (the news was first reported by The Telegraph.)

Koepka has WD’d from this week’s Travelers where he’s been committed to playing since April.)

At times in his career, Koepka has displayed moral courage. He has no place for players who bend the rules. He even blabbed about how money doesn’t matter to him. Oops. He can be an incredible quote and his rise from a European Tour stint to four-time major winner is sensational. But Koepka also seems to get a pass despite the constant churlishness and limited schedule.

Last week when he absurdly lambasted media for asking LIV questions at the U.S. Open, it was a tell. And obnoxious. But Koepka was obviously a goner and trying to change the subject. Just don’t play poker with that LIV advance, BK. Oh, and no table tennis with your buddy Bryson in Saudi Arabia, either.

Koepka’s sudden bulk-up a few years ago always made his decisions to skip the Olympics—where they do regular blood testing in the lead-up—curious for a guy who just wanted to compete against the best. His slimming program for the ESPN Bodies issue came at a peculiar time when was at the peak of his considerable powers. But now that Koepka is gone from Cult Ponte Vedra’s image protectors, maybe we’ll find out more. Or maybe he was a model citizen who just wants to spend more time with his family.

(Note to self: research future Quad on whether major championships should be blood testing players.)