AUGUSTA, Ga. — As a kid growing up in South Florida, Brooks Koepka always dreamed of winning major championships when he was practicing at his dad’s course.
That desire to be the best has fueled Koepka for 33 years and guided him to an incredible tally of five major championships in a six-year span (two of which were riddled with injuries). While he’s never won at Augusta National Golf Club, Koepka has finished runner-up twice and in the top 10 three times in eight previous Masters appearances.
His most recent close call for a green jacket occurred at last year’s Masters, when Koepka held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds before he was caught by Jon Rahm on the final 18. Koepka ended up tied for second with Phil Mickelson.
After his PGA Championship win last summer, Koepka said he learned a lesson as to why he lost his lead Sunday at Augusta. While he still won’t share exactly what he learned, he’s vowed he won’t let it happen again.
“I think if I get the chance this year, I won’t be thinking that way,” Koepka said during his pre-tournament press conference Tuesday.
Koepka has nine wins on the PGA Tour and three since he joined LIV Golf, but he doesn’t shy away from the fact that the major championships are what’s most important to him. He’s well aware of his stature and current place in the pro golf history books. Major championships make for a lasting legacy.
“Even today, that’s what I first see, that’s what I think you’re judged by, your legacy, what you’re defined by. I’ve always said it, I think you can tell exactly how (many majors) Jack, Tiger, Arnold, Tom, you can tell, all these guys, how many majors they won,” explained Koepka. “It’s tough to tell how many events they won, but I know that there’s one sure-fire way to figure out who is who is by major championships.”
How aware is he? Like the NFL players who can name which quarterbacks drafted ahead of them, Koepka knows he’s tied with James Braid, John Henry Taylor, Byron Nelson, Peter Thomson and Seve Ballesteros on the all-time major winners list and that there are still 14 other names in front of him.
When it comes to players with 25-49 rounds under their belt at Augusta, Koepka is third in scoring average at 71.56 behind Rahm (70.50) and Jordan Spieth (70.66). He doesn’t know what it is about Augusta that brings out his best game, but he sure does wish he could do it more often.
“I just think there’s just something special about this place. You kind of drive down Magnolia Lane and it gets the juices flowing,” said Koepka. “And I think everybody that drives down it gets pretty excited. And, you know, first major of the year. And that’s what you play the game for, is to win here, win a major, and that’s the goal.”
In classic Koepka fashion, he also sarcastically challenged a reporter for asking if 59 was attainable at Augusta National:
Q: It sounds like the course is already pretty dialed this week, but under softer or optimal scoring conditions do you think 59 is obtainable on this golf course?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Have you played here?
Q: Not yet.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I can tell by the question.
Q: What number is attainable in your mind? 63’s the low.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, now, anything’s attainable. But, yeah, if you want to go play the members tees and maybe play like 15 holes, yeah, I could do that.
If you didn’t think Koepka was already back to his old self after the PGA Championship, that exchange surely signals he is.
Now healthy following a couple of years of injury struggles, Koepka knows he’s ready for the challenge that awaits this week. Following his Monday practice round, he noted the course “was as firm as I’ve seen it in maybe four, five years” and that green speeds were already near a weekend pace.
For a player who constantly rises to the occasion, that’s music to a confident Koepka’s ears and bad news for the other 88 players in the field.
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