Brooks Koepka Says LIV Golfers Aren't 'Washed Up' After 2023 Masters

It was easy to assume the LIV Golf members who play in 54-hole events with paltry television ratings wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure of the prestigious Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club this year.

That turned out to be anything but the case.

Twelve of the tour's 18 players who competed made the cut, highlighted by Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. The pair tied for second place at eight under par, while Patrick Reed tied for fourth at seven under. The 52-year-old Mickelson became the oldest player to finish in the top five at the Masters.

"We're still the same people," Koepka said, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN. "So I mean, I know if I'm healthy, I know I can compete. I don't think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either. When Phil plays good, we know he's going to compete. Reed, the same thing.

"I think that's just manufactured by the media that we can't compete anymore; that we are washed up."

Koepka was the most impressive of the group and held a 54-hole lead before struggling in the final round on the way to three-over 75. That opened the door for Jon Rahm to win the first green jacket of his career.

While the LIV Golf Tour will still face criticism for sportswashing as a way of overshadowing human-rights violations in Saudi Arabia—which funds the league—many of its competitors played well on an individual level on golf's biggest stage.