Brooks Koepka and Matthew Wolff are part of the same LIV Golf team, but the relationship between the two golfers appears to be beyond repair.
Koepka, team captain of Smash GC, ripped Wolff earlier in the week, telling Sports Illustrated he has “basically given up” on the 24-year-old.
Brooks Koepka of Smash GC walks after playing his putt shot on the third hole during day three of LIV Golf – Andalucia at Real Club Valderrama on July 2, 2023, in Cadiz, Spain. (Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
“I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” Koepka told Sports Illustrated.
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“I’m not a big fan of that. You don’t work hard. It’s very tough. It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work. One guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language. It’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him — a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”
Wolff has had five straight disappointing showings, including withdrawing from an event outside Washington, D.C., in May.
On Friday, Wolff responded to Koepka’s comments, telling Sports Illustrated it was “heartbreaking” to hear that Koepka had given up on him.
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Matthew Wolff of SMASH GC plays a shot during the LIV Golf Invitational – Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on February 26, 2023, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
“Like everyone who has ever played the game at the highest level, I have had competitive moments in the past that I feel I have let myself down and even others in our new team environment,” Wolff said in a statement to SI. “This has been quite difficult for me. My challenges on and off the golf course with my mental health has been well documented. I deal with those challenges every day.
“However, while my 2023 season has not been all I had hoped for to this point, I have made positive strides in managing my life and feel like my game is turning for the positive. To hear through the media that our team leader has given up on me is heartbreaking. It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader, and I think we all know these comments should have been handled much differently.”
Wolff took a two-month break from golf in 2021 in order to address his mental health.
Team Captain Brooks Koepka (R) of Smash GC and Matt Wolff (L) of Hy Flyers GC walk off the first tee during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational – Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club on June 30, 2022, in North Plains, Oregon. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
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Wolff and Smash GC are playing in the LIV Golf London tournament this weekend at the Centurion Club.
“Finally, I trust Brooks wants what is best for our team,” Wolff’s statement to SI concluded. “But it’s hard to imagine his comments in his recent SI interview in any way line up with those priorities. This will be my last comment on this matter. I’m heading out today to the Centurion Club trying to help our team win this week. I appreciate everyone’s continued support and your respect for my privacy.”
Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
