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Brooks Koepka is off to a hot start at the PGA Championship, and every cut made has resulted in a top 20 finish this season.
The five-time major winner returned to the PGA Tour this season after spending four years with LIV Golf and was one of 33 players to break 70 in the first round Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
Last year, Koepka struggled on the course, as he missed the cut in three of the four majors and finished 31st in the LIV individual rankings.
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Brooks Koepka reacts after his putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, May 14, 2026. (James Lang/Imagn Images)
But it’s also been difficult off the course, especially with his wife, Jena Sims, who suffered a miscarriage when she was 16 weeks pregnant.
Speaking after his first round on Thursday, Koepka admitted that “a lot of family issues” last year “took a toll” on him and affected his game.
“It was pretty difficult to deal with,” Koepka said via the New York Post.
But his home is “in a much better place”, which coincides with his impressive early scores.
“It’s easier to come to work when everything at home aligns. Everything is a lot better. Last year was just tough personally with what was going on off the golf course, nothing to do about it. It just felt right,” Koepka continued.
Brooks Koepka plays his shot on the tenth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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“So, yeah, just being in a better place. It’s exciting. It’s also a fresh start. I think that’s a big part of it. Yeah, when all those kinds of things line up, it’s nice to be here.”
“It’s been a long time since I had fun playing golf. I was very frustrated last year. I just wasn’t in a good place, but I think a lot of times when you – it’s like everyone else, right? If they’re happy off the golf course, they’re going to play well on the golf course. I think that’s a huge, huge part, and I found that out,” Koepka told Golf.com last week.
“I got my happiness back, my love for the game. All the pieces are connected. It’s just now that I have to go out and play.”
Koepka is currently seeking his fourth PGA Championship victory, having also won in 2018, 2019 and 2023. He would join Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only four-time winners of the event.
Brooks Koepka walks the 18th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania on May 14, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour)
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Koepka struggled in his early return to the PGA Tour, finishing T55 at the Farmers Insurance Open and missing the cut at the Waste Management Open. But since then, despite two other missed cuts, his finishes have fluctuated between T9 and T18.
