NEW YORK: Chase Koepka is injury-free and ready to battle his way back to LIV Golf for the first time since being relegated in 2023.
The 31-year-old American is setting his sights on LIV’s Promotions event in January to complete a comeback to the Saudi-backed league, two years after losing his spot with only four top-40 finishes in his second season.
“For me, the nice thing about the Promotions event is that it’s in Florida, it’s a home event,” Koepka told Bunkered. “I haven’t been able to play it for the last two years because of injury, so it would be great to have that opportunity. Good golf takes care of itself.”
Shortly after his 2023 relegation, Koepka suffered an offseason shoulder injury that required major surgery and kept him away from competition for more than a year.
Koepka returned to the golf course in January. He enjoyed a solid stretch before more recent struggles landed him at 44th in the International Series Order of Merit, well off the top-two mark that would have secured a place in LIV next year.
“It has been up and down,” Koepka said of his recent play, after finishing T43 at the Singapore Open last weekend. “I’ve played some solid weeks, but I haven’t quite put myself in contention to win. It’s not that I’m playing badly — just not well enough to be up there with a chance on Sunday. That’s the next step for me.”
Koepka ‘s 8-under-par score at Singapore was matched by Anthony Kim, who is looking to continue a comeback of his own.
Kim returned to professional golf early last year after a 12-year hiatus during which he struggled with addiction and suicidal ideation. Although he was relegated in August after almost two full seasons with LIV, he hopes the January Promotions event will be his ticket to return.
Regardless, the former Ryder Cup winner said he plans to make most of his pro starts next year on the Asian Tour in International Series events.
“It is a long way over here. So as much as I want to compete, you know, part of my comeback to golf is being with my family,” Kim said. “And it is a lot of trouble for the family, so we will pick some events to play.”
The 40-year-old also shared his future commitment to the sport.
“This is something I am looking forward to and yes, regardless, I am going to play for a few more years,” he said. “I do not know how long I want to play golf for, but this is something I am committed to.
“I am motivated to play as good as I can, work as hard as I can, and you know, the results will speak for themselves.”
