Brooks Koepka confirms he was paid a nine-figure fee to sign for LIV Golf in Full Swing Season 2
Full Swing season 2 premiered on Wednesday, March 6, and Brooks Koepka has been more than present, despite not offering an official interview. The documentary series even showed the moment when Koepka implied that his signing bonus with LIV Golf exceeded $100,000,000.
Koepka did not return as the star of season 2 of Full Swing, but he received plenty of coverage. The series has featured several moments involving the 33-year-old, including his appearance on YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul's podcast, where the player revealed that his signing with LIV Golf involved a nine-figure amount.
This was part of what Brooks Koepka said on Jake Paul's YouTube channel (via Golf Monthly):
"Look, I’ll be honest with you – I signed for the dough. It was nine [figures]. It was pretty good, I was pretty happy with it, I’ll put it that way."
The exact amount of Koepka's signing bonus with LIV Golf is not officially known so far, although from what he said [as quoted above] it is estimated to be $100 million or above.
Journalist Alan Shipnuk published the book 'LIV and Let Die: The Inside Story of the War Between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf' in 2023, which includes the statements of an anonymous source who put Koepka's signing bonus at $130 million.
An excerpt from Shipnuk's book reads:
"Koepka radiated some heat when reflecting on his career change. 'F**k all of those country club kids who talk s**t about me,' he said, referring to the likes of Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and others. 'You think I give a f**k what they think? You think I care what people say about me? I just had three surgeries, and I’m supposed to turn down $130 million? I grew up with nothing. After signing that contract, the first person I called was my mom. We both cried.'"
Decoding why LIV Golf paid a huge fee to bring in Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka is one of LIV Golf's top stars and has been since the very moment he signed with the tour. At the time (2022), Koepka was coming in as a four-time Major champion and an eight-time PGA Tour winner.
It is true that in the 2022 season, Koepka did not exhibit his best game. That year, he did not win a single event and his best result in the Majors was 55th (T55 at the PGA Championship, 55 at the US Open). However, LIV Golf's management was seemingly confident he could return to the form of 2021 when he posted three top 10s in the Majors and won a PGA Tour event.
Koepka responded with a win and a Top 10 in the seven tournaments he played in during LIV Golf's inaugural season, and with two more wins and three more Top 10s in 2023. To top it off, in 2023, he also won a Major (PGA Championship) and finished T2 at The Masters and T17 at the U.S. Open.