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Brooks Koepka is at risk of disaster in 2028 unless he makes urgent change
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- Brooks Koepka is at risk of disaster in 2028 unless he makes urgent change
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
The landscape of professional golf is set to significantly change within the next year or so.
The PGA Tour is already the most elite stage for professional golfers to perform on. It's also the hardest tour to make it on. The competition is stronger than it ever has been before.
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That depth of talent is what makes the PGA Tour so fascinating to watch week in, week out. If you are not 100 per cent on your game, it's almost impossible to win, unless you're Scottie Scheffler.
However, things are set to get even harder from 2028 onwards, with the PGA Tour set to undergo a complete revamp. And if Brooks Koepka isn't careful, he could find himself missing out on the top table. The five-time major champion has to make one major change during the off-season in order to be successful on the PGA Tour in 2027.
If he doesn't, 2028 could be a real drag for the former LIV Golf star. That's because a new system will be brought into place the season after next, one that is meritocratic in nature. The top 100 players on the PGA Tour next season will take part in the Championship Series in 2028, while the next 100 in the standings will be demoted to the Challenger Series.
If Koepka isn't careful, he may well find himself playing golf for decreased purses and against weaker fields on the PGA Tour's second tier in 16 months' time.
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Brooks Koepka is at risk of disaster in 2028
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January of this year after a three-year stint with LIV Golf. The five-time major champion's return was met by huge excitement from golf fans who were desperate to see him back in action on the PGA Tour. However, the truth of the matter is that Koepka's 2026 season actually petered out into somewhat of a damp squib.
The 36-year-old finished in 94th position in the FedEx Cup standings and he missed out on the playoff events. By his standards, it was a nightmare season. However, the interesting thing for Koepka was that he actually struck the ball beautifully well throughout the 2026 season.
Koepka was ranked 15th in strokes gained approach and 48th in strokes gained off the tee in 2026. He was ranked 14th in strokes gained tee-to-green.
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However, his putting was appalling. The American ranked well down in 124th in strokes gained on the greens, losing 0.235 strokes to the field in every single round he played.
That is simply not conducive to winning golf tournaments. Brooks Koepka loves to compete, but all he is actually interested in is winning. Racking up top 10 and top five finishes does not interest the five-time major champion.
In order to win again, he has to turn things around on the greens. Perhaps a change of putter is required heading into the new season. Maybe an improved technique is needed. Or he might just need to see one or two putts drop in order to gain some confidence.
One thing's for sure, Brooks Koepka needs to improve his putting in 2027 if he is to compete at the very highest level on the PGA Tour in 2028. It will be fascinating to see if he makes any changes in the putting department during the off-season in order to improve his chances of returning to the winners' circle.
