Brooks Koepka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brooks Koepka |
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2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill
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| Personal information | |
| Born | May 3, 1990 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Jupiter, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Jena Sims
(m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
| Career | |
| College | Florida State University |
| Turned professional | 2012 |
| Current tour(s) | LIV Golf |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour Challenge Tour |
| Professional wins | 21 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 9 |
| European Tour | 7 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 2 |
| Challenge Tour | 4 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 5) |
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| The Masters Tournament | T2: 2019, 2023 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 2017, 2018 |
| The Open Championship | T4: 2019 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 2018, 2019, 2023 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year |
2014 |
| European Tour Graduate of the Year |
2014 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year |
2017–18 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 2018, 2019 |
| PGA Tour money list winner |
2018–19 |
| MENA Tour Order of Merit winner |
2022–23 |
Brooks Koepka (pronounced KEP-kuh; born May 3, 1990) is an American professional golfer. He plays in the LIV Golf League. He used to play on the PGA Tour. Brooks has won five major golf championships. These include the PGA Championship three times (in 2018, 2019, and 2023) and the U.S. Open twice (in 2017 and 2018).
Brooks Koepka became a professional golfer in 2012. He first played in Europe and won the 2014 Turkish Airlines Open. He was named the European Tour's Rookie of the Year. In 2015, he won his first PGA Tour event, the Phoenix Open. He won his first major championship, the U.S. Open, in 2017. Between 2017 and 2019, he won four major championships. In 2022, Koepka joined LIV Golf and has continued to win tournaments there.
Contents
Early Life and Golf Start
Brooks Koepka was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He grew up in Lake Worth. He went to Cardinal Newman High School.
College Golf Career
Koepka played college golf at Florida State University. He won three events during his college years. He was also named an All-American three times. In 2012, he played in the U.S. Open as an amateur.
Professional Golf Journey
Brooks Koepka turned professional in the summer of 2012. He started playing on the Challenge Tour in Europe.
Success in Europe
He won his first title in September 2012 at the Challenge de Catalunya. In 2013, he won two more Challenge Tour events: the Montecchia Golf Open and the Fred Olsen Challenge de España. He set a tournament record at the Fred Olsen Challenge.
Just three weeks later, he won his third event of the year at the Scottish Hydro Challenge. These three wins helped him earn his European Tour card. This meant he could play in more important tournaments. In 2014, Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open. He finished 8th in the 2014 Race to Dubai rankings. He was also named the European Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
Playing on the PGA Tour
On the 2014 PGA Tour, Koepka played in a few events. He finished tied for third at the Frys.com Open. At the U.S. Open, he finished fourth. This earned him his first PGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. It also gave him an invitation to the Masters tournament.
On February 1, 2015, Koepka won his first PGA Tour event. It was the Waste Management Phoenix Open. This win moved him up to 19th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He continued to play well, finishing tied for 10th at the 2015 Open Championship. He also tied for 5th at the 2015 PGA Championship. In 2015, he decided to focus only on the PGA Tour.
In November 2016, Koepka won the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan.
Winning Major Championships
In 2017, Koepka won his first major championship. He claimed the U.S. Open title in Wisconsin. His score of 16 under par tied the record for the lowest U.S. Open score.
After wrist surgery in 2017, Koepka came back strong. He successfully defended his U.S. Open title in 2018. He was the first player since 1989 to win the U.S. Open two years in a row. He then won his third major at the 2018 PGA Championship. This made him one of only five players to win both the U.S. Open and PGA titles in the same year.
At the 2018 Ryder Cup, an accidental shot from Koepka hit a spectator. On October 21, 2018, Koepka won the CJ Cup. This win made him the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking.
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On May 19, 2019, Koepka won the 2019 PGA Championship. He was the first golfer to win the PGA Championship two years in a row since 2007. This win also helped him become the #1 golfer in the world again.
In July 2019, Koepka won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He also won the season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge. This challenge rewards the player with the best average score on special holes throughout the season. Koepka won the PGA of America Player of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Koepka had to withdraw from the 2019 Presidents Cup due to a knee injury. His caddie, Ricky Elliott, has been with him since 2013.
In February 2021, Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open again. He came back from five shots behind on the final day to win. He had knee surgery in March 2021. In May 2021, he finished tied for second place at the 2021 PGA Championship. In September 2021, Koepka played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup. The U.S. team won the event. Koepka also won The Match against Bryson DeChambeau in November 2021.
Joining LIV Golf
In June 2022, Koepka joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series. He played his first LIV Golf event in Portland. The PGA Tour then suspended him for playing in the LIV Golf series. In October 2022, Koepka won the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah. This was his first win on the LIV Golf tour.
In April 2023, Koepka won the LIV Golf Orlando event. The next week, he finished tied for second at the 2023 Masters Tournament.
In May 2023, Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. He was the first LIV Golf player to win a major championship. This was his fifth major victory and third PGA Championship win. He became the 20th golfer to win five major championships. Koepka is also the third golfer to win three or more PGA Championships in the stroke play era. He joined golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Koepka has won three major championships in New York state. He said, "New York has been a second home to me."
In September 2023, Koepka played on the U.S. team in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy. The European team won the event. In October 2023, Koepka won the LIV Golf Jeddah tournament again. This was his third LIV Golf win.
Personal Life
Brooks Koepka's younger brother, Chase, is also a professional golfer. They played together in the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This was a team event on the PGA Tour. His great uncle is former Major League Baseball player Dick Groat.
Brooks Koepka married actress Jena Sims on June 4, 2022. In May 2023, they announced they were expecting their first child, a son.
Koepka appeared in a sports documentary series called Full Swing. It started streaming on Netflix in February 2023.
Amateur Wins
- 2009 Rice Planters Amateur
- 2011 Brickyard Collegiate
- 2012 Seminole Intercollegiate, Florida Atlantic Intercollegiate
Professional Wins (21)
PGA Tour Wins (9)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (5) |
| World Golf Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 1, 2015 | Waste Management Phoenix Open | −15 (71-68-64-66=269) | 1 stroke |  Hideki Matsuyama,  Ryan Palmer, Bubba Watson |
| 2 | Jun 18, 2017 | U.S. Open | −16 (67-70-68-67=272) | 4 strokes | Brian Harman, Hideki Matsuyama |
| 3 | Jun 17, 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | +1 (75-66-72-68=281) | 1 stroke |  Tommy Fleetwood |
| 4 | Aug 12, 2018 | PGA Championship | −16 (69-63-66-66=264) | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods |
| 5 | Oct 21, 2018 | CJ Cup | −21 (71-65-67-64=267) | 4 strokes | Gary Woodland |
| 6 | May 19, 2019 | PGA Championship (2) | −8 (63-65-70-74=272) | 2 strokes | Dustin Johnson |
| 7 | Jul 28, 2019 | WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational | −16 (68-67-64-65=264) | 3 strokes | Webb Simpson |
| 8 | Feb 7, 2021 | Waste Management Phoenix Open (2) | −19 (68-66-66-65=265) | 1 stroke |  Lee Kyoung-hoon, Xander Schauffele |
| 9 | May 21, 2023 | PGA Championship (3) | −9 (72-66-66-67=271) | 2 strokes |  Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016 | AT&T Byron Nelson |  Sergio García |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
European Tour Wins (7)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (5) |
| World Golf Championships (1) |
| Race to Dubai finals series (1) |
| Other European Tour (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 16, 2014 | Turkish Airlines Open | −17 (69-67-70-65=271) | 1 stroke | Ian Poulter |
| 2 | Jun 18, 2017 | U.S. Open | −16 (67-70-68-67=272) | 4 strokes | Brian Harman, Hideki Matsuyama |
| 3 | Jun 17, 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | +1 (75-66-72-68=281) | 1 stroke | Tommy Fleetwood |
| 4 | Aug 12, 2018 | PGA Championship | −16 (69-63-66-66=264) | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods |
| 5 | May 19, 2019 | PGA Championship (2) | −8 (63-65-70-74=272) | 2 strokes | Dustin Johnson |
| 6 | Jul 28, 2019 | WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational | −16 (68-67-64-65=264) | 3 strokes | Webb Simpson |
| 7 | May 21, 2023 | PGA Championship (3) | −9 (72-66-66-67=271) | 2 strokes | Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler |
Japan Golf Tour Wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 20, 2016 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | −21 (65-70-63-65=263) | 1 stroke | Yuta Ikeda |
| 2 | Nov 19, 2017 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (2) | −20 (65-68-64-67=264) | 9 strokes | Lee Sang-hee,  Prayad Marksaeng, Xander Schauffele |
Challenge Tour Wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 30, 2012 | Challenge de Catalunya | −16 (68-67-65=200)* | 3 strokes |  Alessandro Tadini |
| 2 | May 5, 2013 | Montecchia Golf Open | −23 (66-67-62-66=261) | 7 strokes | Agustín Domingo |
| 3 | Jun 2, 2013 | Fred Olsen Challenge de España | −24 (64-66-64-66=260) | 10 strokes | Luis Claverie,  Édouard Dubois, Bernd Ritthammer |
| 4 | Jun 23, 2013 | Scottish Hydro Challenge | −18 (70-66-62-68=266) | 3 strokes | An Byeong-hun, Andrea Pavan, Steven Tiley, Sam Walker |
*Note: The 2012 Challenge de Catalunya was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
LIV Golf League Wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 16, 2022 | LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah1 | −12 (62-67-69=198) | Playoff | Peter Uihlein |
| 2 | Apr 2, 2023 | LIV Golf Orlando1 | −15 (65-65-68=198) | 1 stroke |  Sebastián Muñoz |
| 3 | Oct 15, 2023 | LIV Golf Jeddah1 (2) | −14 (66-62-68=196) | Playoff | Talor Gooch |
| 4 | May 5, 2024 | LIV Golf Singapore | −15 (66-64-68=198) | 2 strokes |  Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith |
| 5 | Aug 18, 2024 | LIV Golf Greenbrier | −19 (64-64-63=191) | Playoff | Jon Rahm |
1Co-sanctioned by the MENA Tour
LIV Golf League playoff record (3–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 | LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah | Peter Uihlein |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 2 | 2023 | LIV Golf Jeddah | Talor Gooch |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2024 | LIV Golf Greenbrier | Jon Rahm |
Won with par on first extra hole |
Major Championships
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | −16 (67-70-68-67=272) | 4 strokes | Brian Harman, Hideki Matsuyama |
| 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | Tied for lead | +1 (75-66-72-68=281) | 1 stroke | Tommy Fleetwood |
| 2018 | PGA Championship | 2 shot lead | −16 (69-63-66-66=264) | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods |
| 2019 | PGA Championship (2) | 7 shot lead | −8 (63-65-70-74=272) | 2 strokes | Dustin Johnson |
| 2023 | PGA Championship (3) | 1 shot lead | −9 (72-66-66-67=271) | 2 strokes | Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland |
Results Timeline
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T33 | T21 | T11 | ||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T4 | T18 | T13 | 1 | 1 | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T67 | T10 | T6 | T39 | ||
| PGA Championship | T70 | T15 | T5 | T4 | T13 | 1 |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T2 | T7 | CUT | CUT | T2 | T45 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | 1 | T29 | T2 | T55 | 1 | T26 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | 2 | T4 | 55 | T17 | T26 | T12 | |
| The Open Championship | T4 | NT | T6 | CUT | T64 | T43 | CUT |
Win Top 10 Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary of Major Results
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| PGA Championship | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 12 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 8 |
| Totals | 5 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 18 | 26 | 46 | 38 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 24 (2013 PGA – 2020 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 5 (2018 PGA – 2019 Open)
Results in The Players Championship
| Tournament | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | T35 | T16 | T11 | T56 | C | CUT |
Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
World Golf Championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational | 1 shot deficit | −16 (68-67-64-65=264) | 3 strokes | Webb Simpson |
Results Timeline
| Tournament | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | T17 | T23 | T48 | T27 | T2 | |||
| Match Play | T17 | QF | R16 | T56 | NT1 | QF | ||
| Invitational | T6 | WD | T17 | 5 | 1 | T2 | T54 | |
| Champions | T40 | T2 | T16 | NT1 | NT1 | NT1 |
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Win Top 10 Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
The Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.
U.S. National Team Appearances
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 2016 (winners), 2018, 2021 (winners), 2023
- Presidents Cup: 2017 (winners)
See also
In Spanish: Brooks Koepka para niños
- List of Florida State Seminoles men's golfers
- List of men's major championships winning golfers
- List of World Number One male golfers
