24 January 2024 , 17:17
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Brooks Koepka has issued a parting shot to his former teammate Matthew Wolff, after the pair went through a public fallout during LIV Golf's 2023 season.
Koepka infamously took aim at Wolff last summer, in an explosive interview with Sports Illustrated, labelling the former Smash GC star a 'talent wasted'. He said last year: "It's very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you've got one guy that won't work.
"One guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it's very tough. I've basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent's wasted.”
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Wolff was quick to respond to Koepka, who admitted he was 'heartbroken' by his captain's comments. Despite the fallout, the pair continued to compete alongside each other for another six events on the breakaway circuit, before Wolff finally departed in the off-season.
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The 24-year-old was part of one LIV's first trades, joining the RangeGoats with LIV's individual champion Talor Gooch heading the other way with Koepka and co at Smash. Unsurprisingly Koepka is more than pleased with the business, bringing in the league's most in-form player for 2024.
The five-time major winner is clearly happy to add Gooch's competitiveness to the Smash setup, something that he believes was lacking with his former teammate. "I hope [Gooch] thinks he’s the No. 1 guy on the team," Koepka told LIVGolf.com.
Brooks Koepka and Matt Wolff have parted ways (Getty Images)"That’s a good thing. That’s what I want. That’s the competitiveness we’ve been lacking. He’s a competitor. He’s gritty. Hope he comes in thinking he’s No. 1. I hope Jay thinks the same thing. I hope [Graeme McDowell] thinks the same thing, because all that’s going to do is just drive everybody to play better and work harder. Success on the individual side for them and success for the team side.”
Many were quick to question the Gooch-Wolff trade, with the former the 2023 champion and the latter struggling for form. Wolff's new RangeGoats captain Bubba Watson however has defended the decision, and pledged his support behind the former PGA Tour star.
"I’ve always wanted Wolff," Watson said. "I think Wolff is such a great talent & a great kid… I knew the world would see this as dumb. But at the same time, if I’m taking a chance to come to LIV, people may have seen that as dumb at the time. Now people see it differently, right? Two years later, they’re like, Hey, LIV’s not that bad.”