Ryder Cup star Brooks Koepka made quit admission in teary LIV Golf interview

Ryder Cup diary: Pairings revealed for opening session

Brooks Koepka is part of the United States Ryder Cup team after a rollercoaster ride in the last few years during which he once feared he may quit golf. Following his first LIV Golf win, he gave an emotional interview outlining the challenges he faced. 

When the controversial circuit was first formed in 2022, many wondered which of the sport’s biggest names would be lured over by the lucrative sums of money and less demanding schedule. It was announced in June last year that the five-time major winner joined the Saudi-backed tour and four months later, he claimed glory for the first time.

In what was the final individual event of LIV Golf’s inaugural season, the American outlasted Peter Uhlein in a play-off after his birdie on the 18th hole left him 12 under par. In response, his opponent could only find the green side bunker and then the water as Brooks went on to claim victory as darkness fell.

It was his first victory since winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February 2021 and banked £3.5 million as a reward. In his interview following his win, tears fell from Koepka’s eyes as he recalled the struggles leading up to that win. 

“The last two years… they haven’t been fun,” he said. “It’s been a long road, I’m super excited and my old team, we’ve got the band back together, literally.

“A couple months ago I got Claude back on the team and Pete who I’ve worked with very very hard and Jeff as well. Shoutout to them, this is for them. I didn’t know if my career was over for a half-second and I told Claude that I wasn’t sure whether I was going to play so it’s nice to come back and be able to win.”

This victory was the first of two LIV trophies for Koepka. The second came in April of this year as he finished one shot ahead of Sebastián Muñoz to win the LIV event in Orlando. He became the first player to win two events on the circuit, and he made more history the very next month.

In May Koepka won his third PGA Championship and the achievement saw him become the first LIV golfer to win a major, and just the 20th golfer in history to reach five overall. “This is probably the sweetest one of them all because of all the hard work that went into this one,” he said after securing victory. “This one is definitely special.”

Don’t miss…
Ryder Cup ace Viktor Hovland rubs salt into USA wounds by ‘losing your s***'[LATEST]
Ryder Cup aces will feel like ‘throwing up’ as Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm step up[LATEST]
Ryder Cup is golf at its purest as Europe and USA put money aside to do battle[LATEST]

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Fast forward to September 2023 and Koepka is getting ready to compete in his fourth Ryder Cup. He was a winner on two occasions in 2016 and 2021 and is relishing the opportunity to claim victory for a third time, and the first on European soil. Ahead of the event, Koepka issued a brutal message to his fellow LIV Golf rebels who were left out.

The likes of Bryson DeChambeau were left furious after not being selected and made his feelings known to USA team captain Zach Johnson. But Koepka issued a blunt and brutal response to the American men absent from the tournament. “Play better,” he said Wednesday.

“That’s always the answer.” He added: “I don’t make the decisions. Everybody had an opportunity to get there. I had the same opportunity as every other LIV player, and I’m here.” Koepka will not feature in the opening session of the Ryder Cup as well as Justin Thomas and rookie and reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark.

Source: Read Full Article