Brooks Koepka says he’s ready to win again

The four-time major champion pronounces himself fit for the challenge of Augusta National and the Masters.

Remember Brooks Koepka?

We’re talking about a guy who won four Majors in a 23-month span, the last of them only a year and a half ago. The muscle guy before Bryson DeChambeau was the muscle guy. The unbeatable guy before Bryson DeChambeau was the unbeatable guy.

That was a time when Koepka’s every move was scrutinized so closely that he got national attention for NOT kissing his girlfriend before the final round of the 2019 PGA….which, for the record, he won.

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Whatever one thinks of romance, in this case, it turns out to be more durable than Koepka’s hip and knee. They failed him during the 2019 season. He followed that PGA win with top 5s at the U.S. and British Opens. But citing knee and hip problems, he withdrew from big season-ending competitions including the Presidents Cup, did nothing of consequence prior to the tour’s Covid-induced cessation, and has been only sporadically successful since the re-start.

But coming off a tie for fifth at last week’s Houston Open, not to mention basically living in either the doctor’s office or the gym, Koepka made it clear during a press availability Tuesday prior to the start of the Masters that he views himself as a serious factor.

"“Everything’s normal. I feel good,” he told reporters. “I’m hitting it good.”"

Those are statements Brooks Koepka couldn’t have made any time for basically a full year. True, he tied for third at the 2019 FedEx Cup, but it was a pyrrhic accomplishment. Basically, he hurt from the waist down. His withdrawal from the President’s Cup field followed a rehab effort that, to put it generously, did not go well.

"“The one thing I regret is not really doing the right things…I didn’t put the effort I needed to into rehab,” Koepka said. “And that’s on me, so I need to live with that.“I had to re-devote myself to working out in the gym.”"

What Brooks Koepka learned was that he couldn’t merely gut his way through; both the pain and the competition were simply too strong. Three rounds through the August PGA at Harding Park, Koepka stood in a tie for fourth, just two strokes behind Dustin Johnson. But his legs were defeated and he knew it. He closed with a 74 and tied for 29th, 10 strokes behind Collin Morikawa.

"“At the PGA, I tried to get it done, my body just wouldn’t let me do it,” he said."

He needed more time and he took it.  Ranked 96th in FedEx Cup points entering the Northern Trust, Koepka withdrew, got a shot in his hip, locked himself in a Boston hotel room for a week then returned to his California home to “start over.”

That meant renewing his commitment to himself rather than to his game. “It was nice to only have one goal every day, which was to go to the gym, get everything done,” he said.

"He now believes he’s back to something approaching normal, which for Koepka has always been awfully good. “If you work, everything takes care of itself, and that’s what I’ve been doing,” he said. “I like the way I’m playing.”"

Recognized during his heyday as a physical freak, he views himself as ready to take on any challenge, including the challenge of the Tour’s newest physical freak, DeChambeau.

"“I feel as good as I did at Bellerive, Bethpage…any of my wins,” he said. “I’m only worried about me, man. Nobody else out here is going to make me work harder on the gym, on the golf course. … just go win.”"

There’s one final element Koepka believes could shift the 2020 outcome to his side: Augusta momentum. His four previous starts there have successively resulted in finishes of ties for 33rd, 21st, 11th, and second. He sees it as a product of an ongoing learning curve with just one step remaining.

"“The one thing I’ve learned is where to miss your shots,” Brooks Koepka said. “There are different angles to different pins, even on the same hole. You have to learn where to hit in from depending on where they put the flags.”"