Koepka defeats Uihlein in LIV Golf Jeddah playoff
Four-time major winner, Brooks Koepka, has secured his first victory in more than 18 months after winning a three-hole playoff over fellow Smash GC teammate, Peter Uihlein, at the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Koepka has battled multiple knee, wrist and hip injuries across the past few seasons and no doubt the reduced schedule and increased purses was a major factor in his decision to move to LIV Golf this year.
“It was before LIV, when I blew my knee out and my foot was pointed that way, almost backwards and sideways…I’m going to have to have knee replacement in a few years. I wasn’t sure whether I could even move the same way and if I want to play if I could move the way I wanted. I’m fortunate be in the spot that I’m in right now.”
“Honestly, to me the big thing today was getting the team win,” said an emotional Koepka, who carded a final-round 69 to finish on 12 under alongside Uihlein in the last of the individual 54-hole matches of the LIV Golf season for 2022.
Brooks Koepka (Credit: LIV Golf)
“I told my brother I’d buy him a Lambo if we won the team thing, so I’ve got to go buy one.”
Uihlein’s failed bunker shot onto the green on the third playoff turned out to be a very expensive mistake for the American. Victory would have given the two-time LIV Golf runner-up second place on the season-long points race and the $8 million prize money.
In the end, Uihlein had to settle for third place and $4 million along with the $2.125 million for finishing second and his $750,000 share of the $3 million team victory prizemoney. Not a bad week and the 33-year-old is well aware of that fact.
“Consolation…still a good chunk of change and the team, yeah, we’re peaking for Miami, which is what we want to do,” said Uihlein referring to the $50 million on offer at the teams final in Florida from October 28.
Jed Morgan lead the way for the Australians in a share of 12th place. Cameron Smith struggled again this week carding rounds of 69-68-69 to finish midway down the leaderboard on equal 21st and 5-under.
Marc Leishman (T35), Wade Ormsby (T35) and Matt Jones (45) rounded out the Aussie attack.
