Brooks Koepka dishes up “major” respect, rivalry with Rory McIlroy
Koepka is intense, but off the course, he knows when to show respect to fellow players like Rory McIlroy and their healthy rivalry.
Brooks Koepka is a unique character in professional golf.
The PGA Tour turned LIV Golf captain for Smash GC has a bold personality many love and adore, while others are turned off by him.
However you feel about him, you have to appreciate his candor.
Koepka recently joined Golf.com’s Claire Rogers to chat about golf and life on her segment, “The Scoop.” Rogers and her guests grab their favorite ice creams and sit down for a chat. It’s laidback, and the pressure is at a minimum.
One of her questions showed how much respect the reigning PGA Championship winner has for a fellow pro. She asked Koepka if he had to play golf for the rest of his life with only one player, who would it be?
His answer of Rory McIlroy was stunning. But his reasoning was truly enthralling.
“Most people probably hate this answer, but Rory,” Koepka said. “I feel like maybe — divulging a lot. There’s a competition. Maybe he’s that way or not, but I’ve got to get one more [major] than him. He will get to five soon, and it’s like a one-up thing... I want to try to be better than him because I think he’s arguably one of the best players ever, so it’s trying to one-up — that’s how it feels anyways.”
Koepka is one of the most competitive guys in the sport and he recognizes that players are measured by major championships won.
“I show up at a major, I’m like, ‘Okay, I want to try to make sure that I can get a big enough lead before he starts closing that gap,” Koepka said. “So, for me, that’s the way it goes.”
McIlroy has won four major titles, while Koepka surpassed him with his PGA Championship win at Oak Hill last year to earn his fifth. That drive they both have to be the best is why the former Florida State Seminole likely picked the Northern Irishman.
He went on to detail his favorite major win, his relationship with his caddie and being a first-time dad. It’s great for golf fans to see this side of Koepka, who keeps it so intense on the course.
Fans got their first look into his personality during Netflix’s first season of Full Swing, but this video gives more.
Rogers is one of the most iconic Twitter users. She makes the Golf-Twittersphere laugh weekly and has garnered attention for taking a different approach to covering the game. “The Scoop” segment is laid-back and entertaining for all fans.
Koepka is the latest in her A-list guests, as Rogers has had Rose Zhang, Nelly Korda, J.R. Smith, Koepka’s wife, Jena Simms, and many others.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.