After a string of missed cuts and a winless run that extended back to the middle of July, Brooks Koepka has revealed just how frustrated he had become
Brooks Koepka Snapped Two Sets Of Clubs Before Phoenix Win
Brooks Koepka’s win at the 2021 Phoenix Open was his first since the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational back in July 2019.
For most, having to wait this long between victories wouldn’t be considered a drought, but for Koepka, who was the World No. 1 at the time, winning had become a bit of a habit.
And the 30-year-old has revealed just how frustrated he has been in recent months, especially after exiting at the halfway point at the Mayakoba Classic and Farmers Insurance Open.
“I snapped two sets of irons after playing Mexico and then after Torrey and I don’t really do that," Koepka said ahead of this week's Genesis Invitational.
“So there was quite a bit of frustration, but at the same time you’ve just got to stick it out.
“You’re doing the whole process, you’re doing it exactly how you want it, but the results might not be there and I think sometimes you can get result-oriented and that’s where I was.”
For someone who is usually as cool as they come on the course, even when under the most extreme pressure, this revelation came as a surprise, and the four-time major winner went into more detail about just how much recent results have affected him.
“It’s not a common ritual and I’m not one to break clubs,” he added.
“You see me on the course, I don’t really slam clubs or get too upset.
“It was just frustration.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t even come out of my room on Saturday [at Torrey] for about 30 hours or so.
“I was so mad at myself and didn’t want to talk to anybody.”
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The source of the frustration was that Koepka felt like his game was right where he wanted it to be and that should equate to wins, not missed cuts.
After all, it has in the past.
“I think I was expecting to win, and I think that was the hard part, is I felt like my game was right where I wanted it to be, exactly what I wanted.
“But at the same time, you’re having to manage the expectation because you're like, 'all right, I'm back', and the results aren't there.
“You hear it probably all the time from us.
“'Hey, look, it's really close, I'm knocking on the door', and then two weeks later the guy goes out and wins.
“That's kind of what golf is.”
That's how it turned out on Sunday in Phoenix when the American produced a sublime final round 65 for a one-shot victory and his eighth PGA Tour title.
And now that the monkey is off his back, Koepka is full of confidence, stating his “game feels exactly where it’s been in the past.”
With a packed schedule ahead of the Masters, that’s an ominous proposition for the rest.
