Brooks Koepka says personal life is improving as the PGA Championship gets off to a good start

Brooks Koepka is off to a great start at the PGA Championship, and each cut has led to a top-20 finish this season.

The five-time winner returned to the PGA Tour this season after spending four years with LIV Golf and was one of 33 players to break 70 in Thursday’s first round at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.

Last year was a struggle for Koepka on the course, as he missed three of the four major cuts and finished 31st at the LIV.

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But it was also a struggle, especially when his wife, Jena Sims, suffered a miscarriage at 16 weeks pregnant.

Speaking after his first round on Thursday, Koepka admitted that “a lot of family issues” last year “took a toll” on him and affected his play.

“It was hard to deal with,” Koepka said, via the New York Post.

But the home is in “the best place,” which is consistent with his impressive points at the beginning.

“It’s easier to go to work when everything at home is ready. Everything is much better. Last year it was difficult personally in terms of what happened outside the golf course, there was nothing you could do about it. It was closed,” continued Koepka.

Brooks Koepka tees off on the 10th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Photos by Bill Streicher/Imagn)

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“So, yeah, just being in a better place. It’s exciting. It’s a fresh start again. I think that’s a big piece of you. Yeah, when all that kind of streak happens, it makes it fun to be here.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been happy playing golf. I was very frustrated last year. I just wasn’t in a good place, but I think a lot of times when you – you’re like anybody, right? If they’re happy off the golf course, they’re going to play well on the golf course. I think that’s a big, big part of it. Golf got that last week.

“Restore my joy, my love with a game. All the pieces are connected. Now I must go out and play.”

Koepka is currently aiming for his fourth PGA Championship victory, having also won in 2018, 2019 and 2023. He will join Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only four-time winners of the event.

Brooks Koepka walks the 18th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour)

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Koepka struggled in his return to the PGA Tour, finishing T55 at the Farmers Insurance Open and missing the cut at the Waste Management Open. But since then, despite two more missed cuts, his finishes have ranged from T9 to T18.

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