Brooks Koepka: Golf's Most Efficient Major Championship Machine
Brooks Koepka has won five major championships. He has won two consecutive US Opens twice — the 2017 and 2018 US Opens, and the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships. No player in the modern era has won back-to-back in the same major more than once. His record in major championships relative to his record in non-major events is the most extreme asymmetry in professional golf: a player who performs at a categorically different level when the stakes are highest.
The European Tour Years
Koepka spent his early professional career on the European Tour and its Challenge Tour feeder circuit rather than attempting to qualify directly for the PGA Tour through the Qualifying School. The decision, which was unusual for an American player, exposed him to a wider variety of course conditions and competitive environments than the American developmental circuit would have provided. He credits the European years with developing the course management skills and wind-play competence that his major championship record reflects.
The US Open Back-to-Backs
Koepka won the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills and the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills — the first back-to-back US Open victories since Curtis Strange in 1988-1989. He then won the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive and the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black — a second consecutive back-to-back in a major championship, which no player in the modern era had achieved. The four-major stretch between 2017 and 2019 is the most concentrated major championship performance since Tiger Woods's 2000-2001 season.
The 2023 Masters
Koepka arrived at the 2023 Masters as a player who had moved to LIV Golf, which generated discussion about his eligibility and form. He finished second, losing to Jon Rahm by four shots after leading entering the final round. His performance — calm, efficient, mechanically consistent — was characteristic: Koepka contended in a major championship as effectively after moving to LIV as he had before, which answered a specific question about whether the competitive level of LIV events would affect his major championship preparation.
The Approach to Golf
Koepka has been consistently candid about his relationship with golf: he finds the game boring relative to other sports he played growing up (he was a soccer player before golf) and maintains his engagement through competition rather than love of the craft. He plays fewer practice rounds than most tour players, maintains a narrower focus on the four major championships than on the tour season as a whole, and performs consistently better in major championships than in regular tour events — a pattern that suggests his competitive intensity genuinely elevates in those specific contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many majors has Brooks Koepka won?
Brooks Koepka has won five major championships: the 2017 and 2018 US Opens, the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships, and the 2023 PGA Championship. He is the only player in modern golf to win back-to-back in the same major on two separate occasions.
Did Brooks Koepka go to LIV Golf?
Yes. Brooks Koepka joined LIV Golf in 2022 as part of the first major wave of PGA Tour defections to the Saudi-backed league. He continued to compete in major championships through the major championship exemptions that LIV golfers maintained, and finished second at the 2023 Masters before winning the 2023 PGA Championship.