Brooks Koepka took one more step in leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf on Tuesday when he withdrew from this week’s Travelers Championship. The tour announced his withdrawal and said he would be replaced by Mark Hubbard.
The move was a surprise to no one in the golf world, considering there were reports earlier on Tuesday that Koepka would be the latest PGA Tour player to defect to the Saudi-backed circuit that is giving the top players contracts worth more than $100 million. Though LIV has not officially announced Koepka as a new member, that revelation is expected to happen soon, with the first U.S. event scheduled for next week at Pumpkin Ridge outside of Portland, Ore.
Koepka, 32, is a four-time major champion who is currently ranked 19th in the world. When he moves to LIV, he will become one of the highest-profile players from the PGA Tour to do so, along with Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson.