For Chase Koepka, LIV Golf Promotions represents more than a single week with three cards on the line. It is the culmination of a long rebuild and a season spent rediscovering his game through the Asian Tour and The International Series.
The Florida native will begin his LIV Golf Promotions campaign from Round 1 this Thursday at Black Diamond Ranch Golf & Country Club, arriving healthier and sharper after using The International Series as a competitive bridge back to elite-level golf.
After much of 2024 was lost to injury, Koepka turned to the Asian Tour’s elevated events to strip away rust and regain confidence. A fluctuating but resilient 2025 campaign followed, highlighted by a tied-eighth finish at International Series India presented by DLF and a tied-12th at International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus, results that signalled meaningful progress on a long road back.
“2024 was definitely tough,” Koepka said. “I had surgery for nerve damage, which was causing a lot of issues, even affecting my sleep. When you’re not sleeping, everything else suffers too.
“The hardest part was not knowing exactly what was wrong at first. I saw a lot of doctors who couldn’t pinpoint the issue, which was frustrating. Eventually, I was fortunate to work with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in LA. He got me on the right path.”
The recovery process was slow and methodical. Koepka didn’t return to full competition until the year after, easing his way back through tournament golf rather than rushing the process.
“After surgery, it took another four or five months before I even started hitting wedges,” he explained. “I’d only played four or five rounds before my first Asian Tour event in the Philippines, where I was pretty rusty. Then the following week, I finished top 10 in India on what I think is one of the toughest courses in the world.
“From there it was a bit up and down, but ball-striking-wise I felt really good. Putting was probably the main thing that lagged behind. Toward the end of the year, I played 14 or 15 weeks in a row, and my body held up. That was a big confidence boost. I actually started playing better the longer I was out there.”
Now feeling physically sound, Koepka believes the lessons from competing at the highest level of the game at LIV Golf 2023, and fighting his way back, have shaped his approach heading into Promotions.
“Being around the very highest level of golf was probably the coolest part for me,” he said. “Just learning from those guys day in, day out was huge. I didn’t play as well as I would have liked overall, but there were definitely some special moments, the hole-in-one in Adelaide stands out for sure.
“A lot of it was about growth. I feel like if I get another opportunity out there, I’ll be in a much better place heading into the 2026 season.”
Beyond the three direct LIV Golf League cards on offer, Koepka also points to the wider opportunities tied to Promotions, including qualification routes into The International Series for the top 10, as a key motivator.
“They’re the Asian Tour’s elevated events, and they’ve done a great job building them up,” he said. “The quality of fields just keeps getting stronger.
“You’re also playing for more than just a win. There are Major Championship opportunities on the line, spots into The Masters, into The Open Championship. In Macau this year, it was the top three who qualified for The Open. That’s incredibly cool.
“That’s what you want as a player, to keep stepping up. Majors are the ultimate goal, and being able to reach them through the Asian Tour and The International Series is a huge incentive.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of a set of elite tournaments co-sanctioned by LIV Golf and the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings Winner & Runner-Up promotion to the LIV Golf League.
.jpg)
