Brooks Koepka opens strong at PGA Championship after admitting ‘family issues’ took a toll last year

Brooks Koepka has gotten off to a nice start at the PGA Championship, and each made cut 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 on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia.

Last year was a struggle for Koepka on the course, as he missed the cut in three of the four majors and finished 31st in the individual LIV standings.

But it was a struggle off the course as well, especially with his wife, Jena Sims, suffering a miscarriage at 16 weeks pregnant.

Speaking after his first round Thursday, Koepka admitted that “a lot of family issues” last year “took a toll” on him and affected his play.

“That was kind of tough to deal with,” Koepka said, via the New York Post.

But home is “in a much better place,” which coincides with his impressive scores in the early going.

“It’s easier to come out to work when everything at home lines up. Everything’s a lot better. Last year was just difficult personally with what was going on off the golf course, nothing to do on it. It was just off,” Koepka continued.

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“So, yeah, just being in a better place. It’s exciting. It’s a little bit of a fresh start as well. I think that’s a big piece of it. Yeah, when all that kind of lines up, it makes it enjoyable to be out here.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had fun playing golf. I was very frustrated last year. Just wasn’t in a good place, but I think a lot of times when you — it’s like anybody, 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 piece of it, and I’ve found that,” Koepka told Golf.com last week.

“Refound my happiness, my love for the game. All the pieces are connected. It’s just now I’ve got to go out and go 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.

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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 ranged from T9 to T18.

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