Brooks Koepka: I want to make Ryder Cup decision hard for Zach Johnson
Brooks Koepka didn’t hide his desire to represent America for a fourth time at the Ryder Cup, so could Zach Johnson be forced to make a tricky decision?
Brooks Koepka wants to play for America at the Ryder Cup and believes if he “handles business,” he should find himself at Marco Simone in September.
Speaking at the PGA Championship, Koepka admitted the biennial match with Europe isn’t his main focus, but further strong performances in 2023 could give US captain Zach Johnson no option but to choose the four-time major winner.
The 33-year-old won the LIV Golf Orlando event at the start of April before pushing Jon Rahm all the way at the Masters. It seems a fully fit Koepka is once again a dangerous one.
He is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship and another strong showing in New York could plant a seed in captain Johnson’s head that can’t be ignored.
“It would be awesome to represent the United States. Anytime we do it, it’s always fun,” he said at Oak Hill.
“I’m not focused on it. It’s not my first thought when I go play well this week. If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself.
“If you win, go second, first, first, first, it would be tough not to pick me, right? If you go handle business, I should be fine. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Zach and what goes on.
“I just play my best and see what happens from there, but I would love to play for him.
“It’s tough to be in Zach’s mind or where he is at, but I would love to make it hard on him. That would be cool. The only thing I can do is go play good. If I play good, everything takes care of itself.”
Koepka has represented America in the last three Ryder Cups and earned two points for Steve Stricker’s side in their record-breaking win against Europe in 2021.
He has placed sixth and third in his last two appearances in the LIV Golf League, but with limited access to world ranking points, Koepka will struggle to make the top six automatic selection places.
His LIV Golf colleagues Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Talor Gooch are in the same boat relying on the majors to catch the skipper’s eye.
Johnson, who only won the Ryder Cup once as a player in five attempts, was asked about the prospect of choosing Koepka on Wednesday during his session with the media:
“I haven’t really seen where he’s at since Augusta. He played really good that one week, but it’s one week.
“I don’t want to sit here and say that it’s concrete, it’s the only thing we’re going to be looking at. It’s one week, at a major venue, at the Masters tournament. He played great. But there’s a lot of golf.”
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
