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Brooks Koepka is off to a strong 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 opening round Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
Last year was a struggle for Koepka in the field, as he missed the cut in three of the big four and finished 31st in the LIV individual standings.
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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, on May 14, 2026. (James Lang/Image Images)
But it was also a struggle off the field, especially with his wife, Jena Sims, who suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks of pregnancy.
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 a little difficult to deal with,” Koepka said, via the New York Post.
But his house is “in a much better place,” which matches his impressive early scores.
“It’s easier to go out to work when everything at home is good. Everything is so much better. Last year was just difficult personally with what was going on off the golf course, there was nothing to do there. It was just out of place,” Koepka continued.
Brooks Koepka plays his shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Image Images)
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“So, yeah, just being in a better place. It’s exciting. It’s also a little bit of a new beginning. I think that’s a big part of it. Yeah, when all that lines up, it makes it 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… it’s like anyone 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 very, very important part, and I’ve figured that out,” Koepka told Golf.com last week.
“I found my happiness again, my love for the game. All the pieces are connected. Now I have to go out and play.”
Koepka is currently aiming for 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 onto 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 more missed cuts, his results have ranged between T9 and T18.
