“I lost my train of thought, hearing that bulls**t”
While many of us, like Sunday’s scenes on Kiawah Island’s 18th hole fairway, were getting swept up in Phil Mickelson’s remarkable march to victory, Brooks Koepka was almost forgotten.
The four-time Major winner dislocated his right knee-cap, in early March, and did some ligament damage but still managed to grind it out at the PGA Championship. He was just a shot behind Mickelson, heading into the final round, and briefly lead the tournament, on Sunday, after an early two-shot swing.
What did for Koepka was the par-5s – getting through them at +4 in his final round – and some stray putts on the front nine. “The last nine,” he later said, “I just tried to go back to what I’ve always done and I felt like I was hitting better putts. I just wish I would have done it sooner.”
Koepka ended up tying for second place with Louis Oosthuizen, but he still had a chance to claim an unlikely win, or force a playoff, on the last. The American found himself swept up by the teeming crowds on the 18th fairway:
Lefty is king! 👑
Drink it in!pic.twitter.com/SGXBTHNHXc
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 23, 2021
Most will recall the images of Mickelson being swarmed by hundreds of fans before pinging an iron approach to within 20-feet and all but assuring himself his sixth Major.
For Koepka, though, it was the second time in just over two years – he was tied second behind Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters – that he was an after-thought amid the adulation.
After praising Mickelson for his two-stroke victory, Koepka was asked about being enveloped by the crowds. He replied:
“Yeah it would have been cool if I didn’t have a knee injury and got dinged a few times in the knee in that crowd because no one really gave a sh**, personally. But if I was fine, yeah, it would have been cool.
“Yeah, it’s cool for Phil. But getting dinged a few times isn’t exactly my idea of fun.
“I was trying to protect my knee,” he added. “I don’t think anybody really understands until you actually you’re coming out of surgery how… I mean, even when I was doing rehab and there’s five people kind of standing by your knee, you get a little skittish… [I’ll] be putting it in ice today. It feels like sh** right now.”
Koepka has increasingly felt at ease with speaking his mind, and not sugar-coating his replies, when dealing with the media. He has rarely given trite and rehearsed answers, but the confidence that comes with his recent wins has seen him become even more forthright.
Perhaps that is why there is another video from Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, at the weekend, that is now in high circulation.
Koepka is speaking with NBC Golf, and analysing his performance, when Bryson DeChambeau walks right behind him. The 2020 US Open champion is speaking as he strolls past, and something he says sets Koepka off.
KOEPKA: I’m lost… I lost my train of thought, yeah, hearing that bulls***.
https://twitter.com/itismarkharris/status/1397009229433737220
It is unfortunate for both Koepka and DeChambeau that the NBC footage was leaked and has gone viral.
It is hardly a surprise to many that follow the game, however. The pair have had a testy time of it, in recent years, dating back to Koepka bemoaning DeChambeau’s slow play in 2019.
Rather than dance around the feud, we’re all here for Koepka being as straight as he is on the matter.
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