Brooks Koepka harbors no ill will toward his former teammate, Matthew Wolff. Even though they don’t see eye to eye on a few things. For the first time since the December trade, they are in contention. The five-time Major winner fired 7-under 64 to settle on top. Whereas, Wolff with a 6-under 65 moved within three shots of the leader. 

Asked if there was a storyline to follow, Koepka said, “You weren’t paying attention last week because I played with him”. They did in the final round, but they were not in contention. Does the on-course rivalry change anything? 

It doesn’t Koepka emphasized. “Yeah, look, I have no problem with Matt. We just didn’t gel, see eye to eye on how things were or how I thought they should be. I’ve always liked him as a person. I think he’s a great kid.”

Last year, Wolff’s mental health problems worsened. Koepka, apparently, fed up with trying to motivate his teammate, declared he had lost all hope. Particularly, after the Oklahoma product quit after the second round in LIV Golf Washington. “It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him. A lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted,” the nine-time PGA Tour winner told Sports Illustrated.

However, Wolff’s mental health struggles were well documented at that point. Previously the 25-year-old said at times it was hard getting out of bed, and the fear of failure in front of everyone was too much. Calling Smash captain’s comments, “beyond disappointing”, Wolff said last July, “To hear through the media that our team leader has given up on me is heartbreaking. It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader, and I think we all know these comments should have been handled much differently.”

However, that did little to change things. Koepka termed Smash GC a team of three in October. But, a month later, his brother, Chase Koepka, failed to maintain his LIV Golf status. In December, Matthew Wolff was part of a three-way trade that saw Talor Gooch join Smash GC, with Wolff moving to Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats. Watson also traded Harold Varner III for Peter Uihlein, a close friend of Wolff. 

Koepka believes “it was a good thing for him to leave the team and go to the RangeGoats, and it was a good thing for our team.” Adding further, the three-time LIV Golf winner said, “He seems to be playing better, in a better head space, better form, better everything. Look, I don’t have any ill will towards him at all.” 

Wolff has turned things for the better, indeed. A better headspace in Southpaw’s team, thanks to the captain’s efforts, the Oklahoma State product has two top-fives so far, and is right in the mix. But the former PGA Tour pro too doesn’t want to see the LIV Golf Singapore from a Smash GC prism. 

Matthew Wolff would rather not think about Brooks Koepka

Wolff made seven birdies on the front nine at the rain-delayed second round. On Sunday, Brooks Koepka teed off with Thomas Pieters and Adrian Meronk at 8.05 am local time (8.05 PM EDT). Wolff, started on the first tee, at 7.54 AM (7.54 PM EDT). 

Asked if he would rather be in Koepka’s group, the Edmond resident said, “I don’t think it really matters. I think I’m out there focusing on myself, trying to play the best that I can play, and I’m not worried about what other people are doing. Every single tournament, every single round, I just go out there and give it my best, and that’s all I can really do. Like I said, I can’t control what other people are doing. So why focus on him?”

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Wolff, one of the hottest prospects in the PGA Tour has yet to find that groove on the PIF-funded side. His mental health struggles made it much harder last year. With Watson’s help – the two-time Major champ has fought demons of his own – the 24-year-old is hoping to erase last season altogether.