Brooks Koepka invested in race horse after $130m LIV Golf contract – and could be headed to Cheltenham

The LIV Golf defector Brooks Koepka has put his cash behind a racehorse alongside Graeme McDowell and a friend and the investment is already proving to be a canny one for the trio.

LIV Golf rebel Brooks Koepka is putting his major cash influx to good use by investing in a race horse which is tipped to feature at Cheltenham.

The American celebrity made the move from the PGA Tour to the Gulf State circuit in 2022, becoming one of the most well-known figures to do so. In terms of on-course earnings, Forbes reported that the five-time major champion earned roughly $53 million in that particular year.

The book “LIV and Let Die,” written by golf journalist Alan Shipnuck, details how the US hero was persuaded to accept an initial fee of $130 million because he was a former World No. 1. Following his agreement, it now seems that Koepka has made the decision to join the horse racing industry.

The 33-year-old is an investor in a horse named ‘Givemefive’, which recently raced at Warwick and won by some 18 lengths. The horse is potentially in line for a triumphant appearance at Cheltenham, competing at the Triumph Hurdle or the Boodles handicap race.

According to the Telegraph, his unlikely ownership of the racehorse came about after trainer Harry Derham had a bet with golfer Graeme McDowell. Denham explained: “Because I trained a winner for Graeme last season, he invited me to a LIV pro-am game at Centurion Golf Club [in St Albans] in the summer. We got to the sixth hole, he’d seen how terrible my golf was and he said we do a ‘nearest the pin’.

The rest is history, with McDowell now sharing ownership of the horse, alongside Koepka and the latter’s pal Daniel Gambill. The four-year-old bay gelding competes for Smash Racing, with its owners often keeping a close eye on its fortunes from further afield locations.

Still, Koepka’s joy at the progress of ‘Givemefive’ was palpable as the horse kept up its unblemished record with a two wins in two at Warwick. The American golfing star was delighted by the result, taking to Twitter/X to say: “Dominant showing from Givemefive, congrats team.”

If the horse does compete at Cheltenham, it’s unclear if he will be present in person to witness it. As things stand, he has a hole in his schedule because the LIV Golf calendar’s fourth event is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on March 10, two days before the renowned festival.

Subsequently, Koepka has an event scheduled for April, which provides a wide window of time for the American to possibly travel to England. And he wouldn’t be the only famous golfer to visit the festival in recent years.

Fellow LIV Golf rebel Lee Westwood famously won £48,000 at the festival nearly five years ago from a £240 bet and is a regular at the racecourse. The previous year, he was brought to tears after 66-1 outsider ‘Yorkhill’ unexpectedly won at the Rehearsal Chase in Newcastle.