"Unserious golf league", "hilarious" - Fans react to injured Brooks Koepka’s potential LIV Golf Dallas return for team duties after WD

Brooks Koepka withdrew midway through his opening round at the 2025 LIV Golf Dallas but may still return to play later this weekend for team scoring purposes. The five-time major champion pulled out after the 8th hole at Maridoe Golf Club due to illness.

Because of LIV Golf’s team format, Koepka was replaced by reserve player Luis Carrera for the rest of the first round. Under LIV rules, Koepka remains eligible to return for Rounds 2 and 3, but any scores he posts would only count towards his team’s leaderboard, not the individual standings.

Underdog Golf shared the update on X with the caption:

"Koepka could return on weekend to contribute to team score only, per @LIVGolfComms."

Fans were quick to react, with many surprised by the format rule and others calling it unserious.

One wrote,

"Traveling circus league full of clowns in team outfits; letting a professional W/D then return later in the tournament??"

Another added:

"Hilarious. Smash GC is dead last which says a lot with some of the non-serious teams they throw out there every week."

A third posted:

"How is this possible😂😂😂 what a league"

Another user called LIV Golf an:

"Unserious golf league"

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Other comments read:

"RARE"

"This would be so funny," another chimed in.

This was Koepka’s ninth start of the 2025 LIV Golf season, and he currently sits 14th in the season standings.

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Brooks Koepka had a tough start at LIV Golf Dallas before withdrawing

Before withdrawing, Brooks Koepka was already struggling in Round 1 at LIV Golf Dallas. He played his first eight holes at 6-over-par, which included two triple bogeys. After eight holes, he withdrew.

In a moment of frustration on the 9th tee just before withdrawing, Koepka smashed his club on the ground and knocked a tee marker out of place after a poor drive.

Following his exit, Luis Carrera came in as the substitute for the remaining 10 holes. Carrera, making his LIV debut, went 3-over-par during his stretch, including a bogey on the 15th, a double bogey on the 16th, and a birdie on the 17th.

Under LIV Golf’s 2025 team rules, a player who withdraws mid-round can be substituted by a reserve starting from the same or next hole. The combined score from both players would count only towards the team total, not the individual leaderboard. Together, Koepka and Carrera posted a team score of 81 for Round 1.

Here’s Brooks Koepka’s hole-by-hole scorecard through 8 holes:

• Hole 1 (Par 4): Birdie (3)
• Hole 2 (Par 5): Birdie (4)
• Hole 3 (Par 3): Par (3)
• Hole 4 (Par 4): Par (4)
• Hole 5 (Par 4): Triple Bogey (7)
• Hole 6 (Par 4): Par (4)
• Hole 7 (Par 5): Triple Bogey (8)
• Hole 8 (Par 3): Par (3)

Brooks Koepka’s 2025 season has been mixed. He has two top-10 finishes on LIV Golf but missed the cut at both the Masters and PGA Championship before finishing T12 at the US Open.