Matthew Wolff says Brooks Koepka's criticism 'heartbreaking' - ESPN

Matthew Wolff, who was accused by LIV Golf teammate Brooks Koepka of quitting on the course, said it's «heartbreaking» that the Smash GC captain would criticize him amid Wolff's mental health «challenges on and off the golf course.»

Earlier this week, Koepka told Sports Illustrated that he has «basically given up» on Wolff, who has finished out of the top 30 against 48-man fields in his past five LIV Golf League events, including a withdrawal before the final round of the LIV Golf event outside Washington last month with an undisclosed injury.

«I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that's not competing,» Koepka told Sports Illustrated. «I'm not a big fan of that. You don't work hard. It's very tough. 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.»

Wolff, who is 25th in the points standings entering the LIV Golf event outside London this week, responded on Friday with a statement to Sports Illustrated, saying it was «beyond disappointing» to read Koepka's criticism.

«To hear through the media that our team leader has given up on me is heartbreaking,» Wolff said. «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. But I'm moving forward and won't ever give up on myself. While on course results may not appear now to be positive indicators, I'm trying to win an even BIGGER game with my life.»

Wolff won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's best college player as a sophomore at Oklahoma State in 2019, turned pro and won in his