The Masters: Brooks Koepka flies the flag for LIV Golf to share the lead

Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, said earlier this week that if any of his rebel gangs go to battle, they will all gather on the 18th to celebrate. While Masters Sunday is still some time away, Brooks Koepka is currently on track to make that revenge fest a reality.

The American defector moved up the leaderboard to post an opening round of 65 on Thursday, grabbing part of the lead and raining down on PGA Tour loyalists Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm’s parade.

Just two months ago, Netflix’s docuseries Full Swing showed the four-time major bemoaning his lack of recent success on golf’s biggest stages before jumping to the Saudi-backed series last year.

And for all the backlash LIV has received for its smaller fields and perceived lack of quality, Koepka seems to have done the world good.

Koepka has evolved from last year’s blonde self-doubter to a player with every chance of slipping into the Green Jacket.

Incredibly, he could owe it to Norman and his escape. It’s always been said that Koepka is devilishly hard to stop when his confidence is sky-high and thanks to his win at LIV’s Masters warm-up event last week in Orlando, he’s winning again.

He took that momentum into Augusta National and carded eight birdies to fly the LIV flag high with a lone bogey on the stretched 13, the only blemish on his card.

“I’m very focused, disciplined and driven,” Koepka said afterwards. “There are really only a few things I care about; going to play sports and golf, and that’s it when we get here.

“Nothing else really matters. It’s totally focused on this and trying to walk out of here with a green jacket. Put myself in the fray with nine to go on Sunday. That’s the whole purpose.’

There was a brief concern that Koepka might have been penalized after his round when his caddy, Ricky Elliott, appeared to utter the word “five” toward playing partner Gary Woodland’s caddy on the 15th hole.

If it were referring to the five-irons Koepka had just used to play a shot, it would have broken the rules and given the American a two-shot penalty, as sharing information about clubs on the course is banned is.

The Masters tournament committee determined that no rule had been broken and said in a statement: “After the conclusion of Brooks Koepka’s round, the committee questioned his caddy and others in the group about a possible incident at No. 15.

“Everyone involved was adamant that no advice was given or sought. The committee has therefore established that there was no violation of the rules.’

Others in the LIV contingent included reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith, who started the Masters with a 70, and Patrick Reed with a 71. Then there was two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who struggled to a 77.

But their ranks took a blow. Around the 18th, no 17 will be on hand to welcome a LIV winner to Norman’s fairytale ending after Kevin Na was forced to pull out after his first nine due to illness, leaving 2003 champion Mike Weir, solo had to end.

Hovland’s shirt was flashy, but luckily for him his game was too. The 25-year-old Norwegian, who won low amateur in 2019, barely put a foot wrong and when he did he leaned on his short game to save himself, five for five in a scramble.

But Rahm’s 65 was especially impressive after he opened with a four-putt double bogey on the first hole.

The Spaniard played the remaining holes in a remarkable 9-under par, scoring seven birdies and an eagle.

Rory McIlroy hopes his Europe friends can prevail against the leader of LIV. The thought of a rebel slipping into the green jacket on Sunday is sure to make the blood of the Saudi-backed series’ biggest critics boil, especially after its opening round.

The Northern Irishman struggled through the more difficult weather in Georgia in the afternoon and started his Grand Slam career again with a disappointing start.

While McIlroy appears to have no personal revenge against Koepka – having played a practice round with him on Tuesday – a win for the American would still be a win for LIV and Norman and by no means the point the de facto leader of the PGA Tour would make will on the defector’s first return to Augusta since he disembarked.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler will enter the clubhouse in some frustration, despite his title defense being in no danger after a four-under 68.

The unassuming Texan couldn’t warm up the flatstick and saw several birdie opportunities slip by.

Instead of riding into the lead, he was led by Augusta by amateur Sam Bennett, who matched and even led the world No. 1 on his Masters debut, and not once misplaced next to Scheffler or Max Homa.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods kept hot under the collar as he unsuccessfully worked his way around his beloved Augusta.

The five-time champion took on his 25th Masters appearance at his beloved Augusta National, for the second time since his horror car accident in February 2021, after miraculously returning to the track in Georgia last year.

And Georgia’s undulating course seemed to be taking its toll on the 47-year-old, but it didn’t seem to be his surgically repaired right leg that was causing him problems, but rather the greens.

The putts did not fail for the five-time winner. In fact, he barely got in tight enough to watch himself birdie many times.

There was a glimpse of hops on 15 and 16 when he finally started to hear the chirping around Augusta, but a bogey at the end saw him enter the clubhouse at two-over.