Tag Archives: Brooks Koepka

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Brooks Koepka calls Phil Mickelson ‘greedy’ himself for PGA Tour rant

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There seems to be a new golf feud brewing.

After Phil Mickelson ripped the PGA Tour as having “obnoxious greed” in terms of not sharing enough media rights money with the players, Brooks Koepka weighed in and essentially said: It takes one to know one.

“I’m not sure how this is going to play out,” Mickelson told Golf Digest, threatening that he might join the upstart Super Golf League that is backed by Saudi Arabia and headed by golf legend Greg Norman. “My ultimate loyalty is to the game of golf and what it has given me. I am so appreciative of the life it has provided. I don’t know what is going to happen. I don’t know where things are headed. But I know I will be criticized. That’s not my concern. All that would do is dumb down one of the most intricate issues in sports. It would be so naive to not factor in all of the complexities. The media rights are but a small fraction of everything else. And it is the tour’s obnoxious greed that has really opened the door for opportunities elsewhere.”

Replying on Golf Digest’s Instagram feed, Koepka said, “Dk [don’t know] if I’d be using the word greedy if I’m Phil….” Several curious emojis were attached.

Brooks Koepka fired back at Phil Mickelson for calling the PGA Tour greedy.
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Brooks Koepka threw a dagger at Phil Mickelson.

Koepka has been embroiled in a back-and-forth feud with Bryson DeChambeau for the past three years. And, somewhat humorously, Koepka, who has won four major tournaments, has had a chip on his shoulder about Mickelson since the days of his youth.

At the 2019 Masters, Koepka recalled going to Augusta in the late 1990’s when he was nine or 10 years old and getting snubbed by Mickelson for an autograph.

“I tried to get Phil’s autograph. I was standing by the old range, and somehow found my way kind of right by the parking lot or something like that and asked him for an autograph and he said no, and he turned me down, probably about the only kid Phil’s ever turned down,” Koepka said.

“He doesn’t remember. I mean, I can’t believe he doesn’t remember the first time he ever said no to a kid, signing an autograph. I told him, I think in 2014, I think we were playing a practice round at the British Open. I had to tell him. I was like, ‘Listen, man, you stiffed me, and I really didn’t like you for a long time.’ He was typical Phil, right back at me. I shouldn’t have been there [in the parking lot]. I’ve got his autograph now.”

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Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka ‘wanted to play together,’ hug after Ryder Cup win

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SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Things went so well for the U.S. Ryder Cup team this week that by the end of the 19-9 blowout victory, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka were hugging. Several times.

The superstars — who had a months-long spat play out on social media, causing U.S. captain Steve Stricker to issue an edict that it be put aside for Ryder Cup week — were all smiles Sunday.

The U.S. won big and both players contributed. Koepka won his singles match over Bernd Wiesberger and DeChambeau took his over Sergio Garcia. The pair celebrated a much-needed American victory in a competition that has often gone the other way.

Koepka finished 2-2 for the week and DeChambeau was 2-0-1. While the rest of the team sang “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” Justin Thomas coaxed the two into posing with the Ryder Cup.

“I think before this is all over we should have Brooks and Bryson hug in the middle of the room,” Thomas said during the postmatch news conference. “To prove how much of a team we are, they are going to hug.”

Stricker acknowledged afterward that the two players had asked to play together.

“Speechless,” Stricker said. “These guys all came together. They had a mission this week. Brooks and Bryson wanted to play together. That’s how much they all came together. This is a new era for USA golf.”

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Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth to open Ryder Cup vs. Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia

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SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The United States duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth will get the Ryder Cup started early Friday morning at Whistling Straits, taking on the European team of Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, both from Spain.

The format for the first session is foursomes, also known as alternate shot.

Thomas and Spieth teamed to go 3-1 at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. Garcia is the all-time Ryder Cup points leader, and Rahm is the No. 1-ranked player in the world. They begin at 8:05 a.m. ET.

“Everybody is ready to get going finally,” U.S. captain Steve Stricker said. “It’s been three years and you come in here on Sunday evening and the practice rounds are great but yet you have Friday in the back of your mind and you are just looking forward to getting out there and getting it going.

“I feel great about our pairings. Some teams that have played together over the years, whether in Ryder Cups or some Presidents Cups, so we wouldn’t put them out there if we didn’t feel good about them, let me just put it that way. So we are extremely excited about how these guys are playing, and the order of which they are going out.”

The next match pits Americans Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa against Paul Casey of England and Viktor Hovland of Norway at 8:21 a.m. ET. Johnson is playing in his fifth Ryder Cup, the most of any American player. He is 7-9 overall. Morikawa is a Ryder Cup rookie who has won two major championships. Casey is playing in his fifth Ryder Cup while Hovland is making his first appearance.

Americans Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger will take on Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, both from England. The match begins at 8:53 a.m. ET. Koepka, recovering from a left wrist injury, is playing in his third Ryder Cup while Berger makes his first appearance. Both played at Florida State. Westwood is playing in the Ryder Cup for a European record-tying 11th time. This is Fitzpatrick’s second appearance.

Americans Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay will play against Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. The match begins at 8:53 a.m. ET. Both Schauffele and Cantlay are making their Ryder Cup debuts, but they went 2-2 as a team at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne. They were 2-0 in foursomes. McIlroy is making his sixth appearance and Poulter his seventh.

European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington went with a lot of experience in the opening session, and it was no surprise that he had Rahm in the first group and McIlroy in the last. Both captains said they had a plan in place for the afternoon four-ball matches and expected to stick to it without changes. Although neither would fully commit, those sitting out in the morning are expected to all play in the afternoon.

In foursomes, players alternate hitting tee shots and then alternate hitting shots until the hole is completed. There are just two balls in play, one for each team, and a hole is won with the lowest score.

Sitting out the first session for the Americans will be Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Scottie Scheffler and Tony Finau. Sitting out for Europe will be Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Bernd Wiesberger.

Four four-ball matches will take place in the afternoon, with the same format used for Saturday. There will be 12 singles matches on Sunday with a total of 28 points.

Europe has won four of the last five Ryder Cups, as well as five of the last seven. It needs 14 points to retain the Cup while the Americans need 14 ½ to win it.

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Bryson DeChambeau admits ‘mistake’ as Brooks Koepka’s needling continues feud at The Open

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SANDWICH, England — While Brooks Koepka took great delight in his rival’s missteps, Bryson DeChambeau apologized again Friday for his strong remarks a day earlier about his equipment company and made the cut on the number to qualify for the weekend at Royal St. George’s.

DeChambeau is 12 strokes back of tournament leader Louis Oosthuizen through two rounds of The Open. But the world’s oldest golf championship has seemingly been pushed aside because of DeChambeau’s antics, which included saying that his driver “sucks” and drawing a rebuke from equipment maker Cobra.

“I love my driver,” Koepka said coyly in an interview with Golf Channel after a 66 that saw him move into a tie for 12th.

He later tweeted a photo with the caption: “Driving into the weekend!”

DeChambeau, who shot a second-round 70, was left to pick up the pieces. He declined television and media requests but spoke to a small group of reporters.

“I made a mistake,” he said. “I think as time goes on, I’ll look at this as a growing moment for me personally, and hopefully I can make the right things going on from here on out. I was in a heated situation, and I feel really bad about it.”

After his opening-round 71 in which he hit just four of 14 fairways, DeChambeau said that his “driver sucks” and that he was living on the razor’s edge after four years of trying to get it right.

Ben Schomin, who caddied for DeChambeau two weeks after his split with former caddie Tim Tucker and is Cobra’s tour operations manager, pushed back in an interview with Golfweek, saying the comments were “stupid” and expressing frustration at how hard the company works to appease the eight-time PGA Tour winner.



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Brooks Koepka on feud with Bryson DeChambeau

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SANDWICH, England — If Brooks Koepka is asked, he seems willing to answer any continued questions about Bryson DeChambeau.

Koepka was asked again Tuesday at The Open about their ongoing feud, and the four-time major winner said he’s fine keeping it going because DeChambeau went back on his word about an agreement they had, so now he’s “fair game.”

Their differences were highlighted again two months ago when a taped interview of Koepka showing his disgust for DeChambeau was leaked and went viral. There has been a good bit of back and forth since, all of it starting with Koepka’s slow-play complaints about DeChambeau in 2019.

Koepka said the deal they made came during a discussion at the 2019 Northern Trust tournament at Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey.

“We had a conversation at Liberty, and he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain and I didn’t like that, so I’ll take my shots,” Koepka said.

He then went on to explain how it went wrong.

“He didn’t like that I had mentioned his name in slow play, so we had a conversation in the locker room,” Koepka said. “And then I guess we said something else in the press conference but didn’t mention his name in it, and he walked up to [Koepka’s caddie] Ricky [Elliott], said something. It was, ‘You tell your man if he’s got something to say, say it to myself.’ I thought that was ironic because he went straight to Ricky. Ricky told me when I came out, hit a few putts, and then just walked right over to him, we had a conversation.

“We both agreed we’d leave each other out of it and wouldn’t mention each other, just kind of let it die off, wouldn’t mention each other’s names, just go about it. So then he decided I guess he was going on that little, whatever, playing video games online [on Twitch in which he made light of Koepka appearing in ESPN’s The Body Issue] or whatever and brought my name up and said a few things, so now it’s fair game.”

DeChambeau also spoke on the matter on Tuesday.

“He can say whatever he wants,” DeChambeau said. “I think he said something back at Liberty National not upholding something. I don’t know what he’s talking about in that regard. Maybe that’s on me. Maybe I didn’t. I really don’t remember anything about that. We just had a conversation that I really don’t know what happened, because we haven’t really bantered back and forth until now, so it’s like why is that happening now.

“Besides that, I’m just here to play golf and focus on that. If we want to keep bantering back and forth, obviously being respectful and keeping lines where they aren’t getting crossed, yeah, I think it’s fun and a good environment for people in golf.”

Koepka said there would be no issues with DeChambeau as a teammate at the Ryder Cup in September.

“It’s only a week,” he said. “I can put it aside for business. If we’re going to be on the same team, I can deal with anybody in the world for a week. I’m not playing with him. I’m pretty sure we’re not going to be paired together; put it that way. I think it’s kind of obvious.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think we’re going to be high-fiving and having late-night conversations. I do my thing, he does his thing. Yeah, we’re on the same team, but it’s not an issue at all. I don’t view it as an issue. I don’t think he does.”

Koepka, who is ranked eighth in the world, has been in the top 5 in three of his past four appearances, including a tie for second behind Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship and a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open behind Jon Rahm.

He got his first look at Royal St. George’s on Tuesday and was not overly impressed.

“Quite a few blind tee shots, kind of hitting to nothing,” Koepka said. “Fairways are quite undulating. I don’t know, it’s not my favorite of the [10-course] rotation, put it that way.

“[But] I don’t care whether I like the place, don’t like it. You’ve still got to play good and go hit the shots. Playing St. Andrews is probably my favorite place in the entire world to play. Portrush two years ago was … I love that place. I thought that was just such a good Open. A fun golf course to play. Really enjoyed that.

“This one, it’s just not as exciting. I don’t know why. Whether it be a couple shots to nothing, a couple blind tee shots or shots in where you can’t really see much. I’m not too big of a fan of that.”

Koepka, 31, is making his seventh appearance at The Open, his last finish a tie for fourth in 2019 at Royal Portrush. He also tied for sixth in 2017 at Royal Birkdale.

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