Koepka’s family – Brooks Koepka opened the PGA Championship with steady momentum after describing how “a lot of family issues” affected his game last year, including his wife Jena Sims’ miscarriage at 16 weeks. With home life now “in a much better place,” he has posted top-20 f
When Brooks Koepka walked out for the PGA Championship first round at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia. the early signs were good.. Each made cut has already produced a top-20 finish for him this season. and the five-time major winner carried that form into Thursday’s first round by finishing among the players who broke 70.
Koepka, one of 33 players to shoot under par in the opening round on Thursday, has been back on the PGA Tour this season after spending four years with LIV Golf. The stronger start comes after a year he described as both punishing on the course and difficult at home.
Last year, Koepka’s major results did not match his usual standards: he missed the cut in three of the four majors and finished 31st in the individual LIV standings. The toll, he said, extended beyond golf—particularly to his wife, Jena Sims, who suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks pregnant.
Speaking after his first round Thursday. Koepka acknowledged that “a lot of family issues” last year “took a toll” on him and affected his play.. “That was kind of tough to deal with,” he said.. He added that his situation at home is now different: his life is “in a much better place. ” a change he said aligns with his early impressive scores.
“It’s easier to come out to work when everything at home lines up. Everything’s a lot better. Last year was just difficult personally with what was going on off the golf course, nothing to do on it. It was just off,” Koepka continued.
The PGA Championship week also brought a hint of what Koepka means by a return to enjoyment.. He said the matchups on the course are more bearable when life off the course is settled.. “So, yeah, just being in a better place.. It’s exciting.. It’s a little bit of a fresh start as well.. I think that’s a big piece of it.. Yeah, when all that kind of lines up, it makes it enjoyable to be out here.”
He described frustration from last year as a key memory he wants to put behind him.. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had fun playing golf.. I was very frustrated last year.. Just wasn’t in a good place. but I think a lot of times when you — it’s like anybody. right?. If they’re happy off the golf course, they’re going to play well on the golf course.. I think that’s a huge, huge piece of it, and I’ve found that,” Koepka said.
Koepka also pointed to returning happiness as the driver of his work now. “Refound my happiness, my love for the game. All the pieces are connected. It’s just now I’ve got to go out and go play.”
What stands out in his season so far is the sharp shift in outcomes.. After a tough start in his early return—T55 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a missed cut at the Waste Management Open—Koepka still logged two more missed cuts. but his finishes since have ranged from T9 to T18. matching the earlier pattern of making cuts and stacking top-20 results.
Koepka is aiming for a fourth PGA Championship victory. He has previously won the event in 2018, 2019, and 2023. If he adds another title, he would join Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only four-time winners of the tournament.
Brooks Koepka PGA Championship Aronimink Golf Club family issues Jena Sims miscarriage LIV Golf PGA Tour major championship golf