Talor Gooch: 'Going to be tough' to replace Brooks Koepka

Field Level Media|published: Tue 13th January, 14:42 2026

Aug 18, 2024; Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA; Smash GC team members Brooks Koepka and Tylor Gooch and John Catlin and Jason Kokrak on the 18th green at The Old White at the Greenbrier. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Perhaps more than anyone else in LIV Golf, Talor Gooch is feeling the impact of former Smash GC teammate Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour.

Gooch, 34, takes over as the new team captain ahead of the 2026 season, which starts on Feb. 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"Brooks is one of the best players and major champions in the last decade, so it is going to be tough to fill that type of player's shoes," Gooch told Bunkered.

Returning to the team are Graeme McDowell and Jason Kokrak.

"We are excited to get going and build something that we have been talking about over the last few years, me, Kokrak, and GMac," Gooch added. "We are going to have to step up.

"The three of us are going to have to make more birdies. I have said it a lot that my golden rule in golf is the rule of 67. The goal is shoot 67s and shoot as many 67s as you can and everything takes care of itself."

Harold Varner III could move from 4Aces to fill the roster vacancy, although Gooch declined to comment on those reports. "We have someone in mind," he said.

Gooch won three LIV Golf individual titles in 2023 and added a fourth last year at Andalucia, Spain.

He planned to spend the next couple of weeks learning his new role and responsibilities as a team captain.

"Meeting with LIV to go over things like the budget," Gooch said. "Having a look at the whole system but more importantly just kind of getting more time with GMac and Kokrak. Talking about what our expectations are and what we want to do.

"Fortunately, in the last couple of years, the three of us have gotten pretty tight. ... Man it's fun, it's exciting and we're ready to get going."

--Field Level Media

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