Two-time U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka will join the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf series, it was reported Tuesday.
Koepka, winner of four major tournaments overall, becomes the latest PGA Tour member to bolt for LIV, The Telegraph reported.
He’ll join established players such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau on the new tour, which has been criticized as a Saudia Arabian effort to improve the country's image.
Mickelson reportedly has been paid $200 million by LIV, with Johnson getting a reported $125 million, and DeChambeau $100 million. It was not known how much money Koepka was given to defect.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended all 17 PGA Tour member players who played in the first LIV event outside of London and is expected to do the same for those, such as DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and Koepka, when and if they play next week in Portland, Oregon.
Koepka's younger brother, Chase, an emerging pro who's been trying to earn his PGA Tour card for status to play on that tour, already is a LIV member.
Brooks, 32, appears to be a big get for LIV since he’s in his prime and is regraded as one of the world’s top golfers.
Brooks won the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2019, and the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2018. His career earnings were $37.9 million.
At last week’s U.S. Open in Boston, Brooks criticized media members who were asking questions about LIV, saying it was casting a "black cloud" over the major.
"I don't understand — I’m trying to focus on the U.S. Open, man,’" said Brooks, who finished 12-over and tied for 55th. "I legitimately don’t get it. I’m tired of the conversations. I’m tired of all this stuff.
"I’m here at the U.S. Open, I’m ready to play the U.S. Open, and I think it kind of sucks, too, you are all throwing this black cloud over the U.S. Open. It’s one of my favorite events. I don’t know why you guys keep doing that. The more legs you give it, the more you keep talking about it."
Monahan was expected to have a mandatory player meeting Tuesday at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut to discuss, among other things, a condensed fall schedule with much larger purses.