Brooks Koepka. LIV Golf

One week after becoming a father, Brooks Koepka was back at work, practising in the rain on Thursday for this week’s LIV Golf Greenbrier.

It wasn’t easy to leave his wife Jena and new son Crew, who was born on July 27, six weeks early. The good news is that mother and baby are doing well.

“That’s all that matters,” said the Smash captain, who arrived at Greenbrier at about 10:30am.

Koepka, at age 33, is a father for the first time. He and Jena made the announcement on Thursday on their social channels.

On her Instagram story, Jena wrote about her husband: “I seriously have never seen or felt so much love and felt more like a team than I have with Brooks throughout all of this. He is already such an amazing father and partner, and I was so thankful he was home for this. Couldn’t have done it without him. He made me laugh when I needed to, cried with me, held me, did everything possible he could do to help my healing in the hospital, and I’m just so grateful.”

On Thursday, Koepka spoke about becoming a dad.

“It’s crazy. It’s pretty wild, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s definitely different. Love the little guy. Honestly, I can’t wait to get back and see him.”

For now, the immediate future includes the shotgun start onFriday at 1.15pm (9.15pm UAE) at The Old White course. He’ll tee off on the second hole with Patrick Reed and Graeme McDowell.