Brooks Koepka is never shy of a comment or two and when it comes to having the confidence to say what he feels, he’ll never back away.
Now a five-time major winner, Koepka often goes under the radar as one of the modern greats of golf.
Over the years, we’ve seen his run-ins with Bryson DeChambeau before they reconciled, while he was also one of the first big names to move to LIV Golf and not dismiss the obvious financial reasons.
Indeed, this week has seen Koepka discuss his LIV form and the Ryder Cup and just like always, he’s been in a very honest mood.
Now, looking back at some more Koepka controversies, it’s worth noting how he managed to rile Rory McIlroy back in 2020 at the PGA Championships.
Why Rory McIlroy was annoyed with Brooks Koepka in 2020
Just like Brooks Koepka, another player from the world of professional golf who is not afraid to be up front and honest is the world’s second best player, Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy is now a seasoned veteran on the TOUR and has seen and won it all.
However, while not exactly anything to do with him at the PGA in 2020, McIlroy couldn’t resist getting involved after Koepka had effectively played down Dustin Johnson’s career.
Having wrapped up round three and in the mix to win with DJ, Koepka commented the following.
“I like my chances,” he said. “When I’ve been in this position before, I’ve capitalized. I don’t know, he’s only won one. I’m playing good. We’ll see.”
However, when McIlroy heard these comments and had it put to him for a reaction, he didn’t hold back.
“It’s a very different mentality to bring to golf that I don’t think a lot of golfers have. “I was watching the golf last night and heard the interview and was just sort of taken aback a little bit by sort of what he said and whether he was trying to play mind games or not,” McIlroy said.
“If he’s trying to play mind games, he’s trying to do it to the wrong person. I don’t think D.J. really gives much of a concern [to] that. But just different. I try to respect everyone out here. Everyone is a great player. If you’ve won a major championship, you’re a hell of a player. Doesn’t mean you’ve only won one: You’ve won one, and you’ve had to do a lot of good things to do that.
“I mean, sort of hard to knock a guy who’s got 21 wins on the PGA Tour, which is three times what Brooks has.”
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What happened in the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship
While the mind games were at play here and Johnson went out two clear of Koepka, in the end, it mattered little what the pair said.
In the final round, Johnson actually held his nerve and shot two under par to remain right in the mix.
However, he could do little to stop a surging Collin Morikawa, who recorded a final round of 64 to move to -13 and hold off both Johnson and Paul Casey.
As for Koepka, well the mind games backfired and he dropped out of the top ten altogether, shooting a miserable final round of 74 to finish in T29.
So, it just goes to show that ultimately, those who speak the loudest have the most to say, don’t always win out.
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