AUGUSTA, Ga. — After LIV Golf League captain Brooks Koepka failed to carry a 54-hole lead within the ultimate spherical of the Masters on Sunday, it was pretty apparent what probably the most oft-told joke can be on social media this week.
Koepka wasn’t used to enjoying 72 holes.
However after all of the pre-Masters dialogue about LIV Golf League members not enjoying in sufficient tournaments or not competing in high-pressure occasions, the second-year circuit’s representatives fared fairly properly at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
Koepka, a four-time main championship winner, got here up brief Sunday, shedding to Spain’s Jon Rahm by 4 strokes. Koepka tied for second with three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, one other LIV Golf captain, who carded a 7-under 65 within the ultimate spherical to complete 8 beneath.
LIV Golf member Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, tied for fourth at 7 beneath.
“We’re nonetheless the identical individuals,” mentioned Koepka, who missed the minimize in his two earlier Masters begins whereas recovering from a critical knee harm. “So I imply, I do know if I am wholesome, I do know I can compete. I do not suppose any of the blokes that performed this occasion thought in any other case, both. When Phil performs good, we all know he will compete. Reed, the identical factor.
“I believe that is simply manufactured by the media that we will not compete anymore; that we’re washed up.”
Koepka, 32, mentioned earlier this week that if he hadn’t severely injured his proper knee in a fall in March 2021, it might have made his choice to go away the PGA Tour in June harder. Earlier than profitable final week’s LIV Golf match in Orlando, Florida, Koepka hadn’t been enjoying very properly.
LIV Golf gamers have not obtained world-ranking factors for his or her finishes in occasions through the breakaway circuit’s first two seasons. That is a part of the rationale Koepka fell to 118th within the Official World Golf Rating, nevertheless it was additionally a product of his mediocre type over the previous two seasons.
Koepka rose to thirty ninth on the earth rankings after tying for second within the Masters, the primary main of the season. It was his fourth runner-up end in a significant and thirteenth top-five.
“I’ve recognized this for some time, however I suppose it was only a matter of going out and doing it,” Koepka mentioned. “I led for 3 rounds, and simply did not do it on the final day, that is it. Plain and easy.”
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Mickelson, 52, had fallen to 425th on the earth rankings. He hadn’t gained a match of any variety since capturing the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, through which he turned the oldest man to ever win a significant. He had missed the minimize 3 times and tied for 62nd in 4 begins in majors since then.
Mickelson wasn’t doing significantly better on the LIV Golf circuit. He hadn’t completed higher than a tie for twenty seventh in three LIV Golf occasions this yr and was within the prime 10 in solely one in all seven stroke-play occasions final season. He completed thirty fourth in factors in LIV Golf’s inaugural season in 2022.
Mickelson was a very completely different participant in 4 rounds at Augusta. He had eight birdies within the ultimate spherical and carded a 5-under 31 on the second 9. It was his fifth top-three and twelfth top-five at Augusta Nationwide. He rose to 72nd on the earth rankings.
“I am hopeful that this sort of catapults me into enjoying the remainder of the yr the way in which I consider I am enjoying,” Mickelson mentioned. “I actually labored exhausting within the offseason to prepare. I have been taking pictures some actually low scores at dwelling, and in the present day I sort of let it occur somewhat than making an attempt to drive it, and I had a very good day and made some noise.
“Sadly it wasn’t sufficient, nevertheless it was actually numerous enjoyable for me to play at this stage once more, and it is encouraging for me going ahead the remainder of the yr.”
Final season, Mickelson skipped the Masters and the PGA Championship, an occasion through which he was the defending champion. He spent 4 months away from aggressive golf after his controversial feedback concerning the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian monarchy’s historical past of human rights abuses have been printed.
Mickelson mentioned Sunday that he plans to play within the PGA Championship, which is scheduled Might 18-21 at Oak Hill Nation Membership in Rochester, New York.
Not all the LIV Golf’s gamers carried out properly at Augusta Nationwide. Reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith tied for thirty fourth at 4 over, after ending within the prime 10 in his previous three begins. Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters champion, tied for forty eighth at 8 over.
Previous Masters winners Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson and 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau missed the minimize. Of the 18 LIV Golf gamers who began on this week’s match, 12 made the minimize. 4 missed the minimize, and two withdrew due to accidents or sickness.
“I am joyful the place I am at,” Mickelson mentioned. “I wished one thing completely different for lots of causes, and I am getting quite a bit out of it as a result of having a workforce setting after I was in highschool and faculty golf, it elevated my sport, having gamers to play with, compete with. It introduced an incredible power and pleasure, and that is what that is doing for me at LIV. I am not saying it is for everyone, nevertheless it’s been superior for me, and I like it.”
The subsequent LIV Golf match is ready to happen April 21-23 on the Grange Golf Membership in Australia.
“I am excited to go play in Australia, however this match is not about what tour you play from,” Mickelson mentioned. “There’s gamers from throughout, all around the world on many various excursions, and also you’re bringing the very best gamers to play towards one another within the majors. And that is what it is all about. That is what the sport of golf needs to be. There’s at all times going to be, and will at all times be, a spot for historic occasions like this, nevertheless it’s OK to have a bit of bit of various and selection within the sport of golf.”
And for 4 rounds in a significant championship this week, a couple of of the LIV Golf gamers proved they’re nonetheless among the many finest within the sport, even when they’re enjoying solely 54 holes and have shotgun begins.
Harold Varner III, who tied for twenty ninth within the Masters, mentioned earlier than the match that he wished to play properly as a result of “everybody thinks we suck now.”
“I suppose they do not suck,” Varner mentioned Sunday. “I suck, although. Not in the present day. Yeah, I believe it is good for golf. Do not take into consideration any excursions, simply play golf and see how they stack up.”
