Brooks Koepka confirms shock split

Brooks Koepka is no longer with long-time coach Claude Harmon III.

The surprise news was confirmed by Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch.

In a text, four-time major champion Koepka said: “I love Claude, we had a great run and he’s still family to me but unfortunately we’re not working together anymore.”

Koepka is said to have made the decision in a face-to-face meeting with Koepka in the days following Dustin Johnson’s Masters victory in November. During that meeting at The Floridian Golf Club, Koepka reportedly told Harmon that he wanted to “go in a different direction”.

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That brought to an end a highly successful union.

Koepka, 30, started working with Harmon in 2013, shortly after he left Florida State University and turned professional.

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During their time together, the American twice won both the US Open and US PGA Championship, and climbed to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Over the last 18 months, however, Koepka has been dogged by a series of injuries and has slipped to 12th in the world. You have to go back to July 2019 for his most recent victory, in the WGC-Fed Ex St Jude Invitational.

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Speaking to Golf Digest, Harmon revealed that Koepka’s decision left him “devastated”.

“Brooks is an unbelievable player and great champion, and extremely talented,” says Harmon. “As devastating as it is to have it happen, I’m so grateful for what he did for me and my family. He has to do what’s best for his career, and I know he’ll be fine.”

By coincidence, another Harmon-coached player, Si Woo Kim, won his third PGA Tour title on Sunday.