Brooks Koepka made his surprising return to the PGA Tour this season with the hopes of going back to being the dominant player he was just a few years ago when he won five major championships and enjoyed multiple stints as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.
Instead, his return after spending a little over three years with LIV Golf didn’t go as planned as he struggled for most of the season and ended up missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
NESBITT: The Five Biggest Storylines Heading into the 2026 PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs
Koepka had one last chance this past weekend to get into the top 70 in the standings and into this week’s St. Jude Championship but he finished T67 at the Wyndham Championship, which put him at 94th in the FedEx Cup standings, well behind where he needed to be to extend his season.
After his final round at the Wyndham, Koepka made a very sad, but refreshingly honest, statement on where his game is at right now and how it feels to be missing the playoffs.
“I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can't get through,” said Koepka, who shot an even-par 70 on Sunday. “Zero top-10s basically in two years. To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing. Just need to go home and completely reevaluate everything.”
"It's pretty pathetic that I can't get [to the Playoffs]."
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 9, 2026
Brooks Koepka was brutally honest after his season falls short of the FedExCup Playoffs Sunday @WyndhamChamp. pic.twitter.com/JhaIipEJ4k
Koepka played in 16 PGA Tour events this season and actually did have one top 10 (T9 at the Cognizant Classic in March) but he was never able to put his entire game together and was rarely a factor on Sundays. Most of his problems came on the greens, where he searched a number of times for a new putter that might be able to help him turn things around. That didn’t work, however, and now he is looking forward to spending some time on figuring out how he can get better for next year.
“Ball-struck it great,” Koepka said of his season. “It’s just all on the greens. I don’t know what the deal is. Got zero confidence, can’t putt. I don’t know. There’s going to be a lot of changes here soon.”
Anyone who has played golf knows just how frustrating the game can be. Koepka is clearly feeling that right now and knows that finding the answers that will right his ship will be anything but easy.
A look at Koepka’s successful past
Koepka won his first major championship in 2017 when he had a dominant four-shot victory at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. He then won the 2018 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black and the next month won his second straight U.S. Open at Shinnecock. In 2019 he was a repeat winner at the PGA Championship and then in 2023 he won the PGA Championship for a third time at Oak Hill Country Club.
During those major championship runs Koepka became known for his steely demeanor and when he was on, he was very intimidating and very dominant.
Now, it’s safe to say he’s a bit a lost.
MORE GOLF FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
- 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship Betting Preview: Picks, Predictions, Odds for TPC Southwind
- The Five Biggest Storylines Heading into the 2026 PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs
- Bryson DeChambeau Caught Having a Classless Moment at LIV Golf Event
- SI:AM | LIV Golf’s Plan to Stay Alive After Landing New Investor
