With golf season in full swing, some big names from LIV Golf are finding it tough to make a mark in major championships. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Jon Rahm, who used to be top contenders, are now struggling to stay at the top of the leaderboard.
The ongoing battle between PGA Tour and LIV Golf isn’t much of a hot topic anymore. What’s grabbing attention, though, is how some of the stars from LIV are performing—or not performing—this year. Brooks Koepka, usually a consistent figure in majors, hasn’t been able to crack the top 25 in the last three majors, dating back to last summer’s Open. This year, he tied for 45th place at the Masters and 26th at the PGA Championship, despite a LIV victory in between those. When asked about his performance, Koepka simply said, “Not very good. I think it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
Dustin Johnson, another big name, is also having a tough time. He’s a two-time major champion but had to struggle just to make the cut at Valhalla by birdieing three of the last five holes. Johnson has only managed to finish in the top 20 twice in the eight majors he’s played since joining LIV Golf. His best recent finishes were tying for 10th in last year’s U.S. Open and tying for sixth at the 2022 Open in St. Andrews.
Jon Rahm, a top player who joined LIV in December when he was ranked No. 2 in the world, has also been underwhelming. The defending Masters champion barely made the cut at Augusta National this year, benefiting from a change in the cut line due to heavy winds. Despite securing his place, he couldn’t break par that week and then missed the cut entirely at the PGA Championship. This ended his impressive streak of making 18 consecutive cuts in majors, which was the longest active streak.
It’s safe to say that these struggles will put more eyes on them during the upcoming U.S. Open. Fans and analysts alike are curious to see if they can reclaim their former glory and get back to performing at their best.
As the season continues, the pressure is on for Koepka, Johnson, and Rahm to improve their standings in further majors. Only time will tell if these golf heavyweights can bounce back from their current slump. Until then, the golf world will be watching closely.
