‘It’s definitely not my perfect place’: Koepka responds as soap opera goes on
The four-time major champion was quizzed on those DJ comments at the PGA Championship and whether he fitted in to tour life
Anyone got any popcorn? We’re not sure whether Brooks Koepka is playing golf or appearing in a soap opera, but the drama that seems to be his daily life moved into a new act when Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch penetrated that steely exterior with a set of probing questions delving deep into the four-time major winner’s psyche.
To set the scene, Koepka found himself once more on centre stage after moving day at the PGA Championship when he appeared to take a dig at then tournament leader Dustin Johnson.
He’d been asked how he felt going into Sunday two shots behind his old sparring partner and jabbed: “I like my chances. When I’ve been in this position before, I’ve capitalised. I don’t know, [DJ’s] only won one.”
The general chorus was disapproving with Rory McIlroy among those to think it was a low blow.
Speaking with Koepka, Lynch discussed the aftermath and whether he would have done things differently.
“I was focused on Dustin. I had no idea who was at 8 or with me at 7. To be honest, when I’m looking at a leaderboard I’m never looking at who is behind me or tied with me, I only look ahead,” he explained. “I view myself as going forward no matter what.
“So I regret that part of it. That’s what I was trying to say — that I didn’t know who was on the leaderboard at that point because I hadn’t looked. I just genuinely didn’t know the guys at 8 and 7. That part I regret and I wish I had used different words because I didn’t pay enough attention to who was under Dustin because he was my main focus.”
Lynch also asked Koepka whether he was a misfit on the PGA Tour – “I don’t know if I would say misfit, but it’s definitely not my perfect place” – and whether he was thin-skinned and sensitive to criticism.
To read the full transcript, visit Golfweek.
What do you think about Brooks Koepka’s latest comments? Have your say, or tweet us.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
