The last place Brooks Koepka wanted to be over the weekend was playing in a golf tournament. Not after re-establishing himself as the best in the world last week by winning the PGA Championship and spending the next few days celebrating at Panthers and Heat playoff games. And, although there is no visual proof, probably drinking beer out of the Wanamaker Trophy.
But there he was, obliged to play in the LIV Golf event at Donald Trump’s property in Virginia, arriving the day before the opening round, finishing tied for 12th and proving he can roll out of bed after a four-day party and shoot par, as he did Friday. Koepka, who finished 5-under, opted for playoff basketball and hockey Tuesday and Wednesday over getting to know the course.
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If the Jupiter resident were on the PGA Tour, he would have been able to continue that celebration into Memorial Day weekend. Then, he could return to the golf course this week at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, before his pursuit of a sixth major in two weeks at the US Open in Los Angeles.
And while Koepka’s heart may not have been into his last two LIV events (he admitted he used the tournament in Tulsa as a warmup for the PGA Championship), that laser-like focus and killer instinct will return in two weeks.
Koepka, at 33, believes he’s back on track towards accomplishing something in golf just three others have — winning double-digit majors.
With the title at Oak Hill, Koepka became one of 20 who have captured at least five major championships. But winning five more, that would mean passing Phil Mickelson, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazan, Bobby Jones, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Ben Hogan among others. It would mean joining Jack Nicklaus (18), Tiger Woods (15) and Walter Hagen (11) in that rarified Majors air.
“I’ve always said double digits,” Koepka said Friday when asked how many majors he “reasonably” thinks he can win. “I think I’ve said that a few times. But yeah, I don’t think it’s unreasonable. The last few years — it was just kind of like last year — I felt absent from the majors, but even in ’20 right after my surgery, or ’21, I was still contending.
“I don’t see any reason why I can’t. Your prime in golf is probably 30 to 40, so I’ve got another few good years in me.”
Koepka has come far from his awful 2022 Majors’ stretch
That statement would have been laughable a year ago when Koepka was having self-doubts while he continued to recover from major knee surgery. That played a big part in his decision to take the money from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and join LIV Golf.
Koepka’s worst Majors’ stretch since his first year as a professional was in 2022. He missed two cuts and finished 55th twice. Even two Asian Tour events in February gave no hint as to what we were about to see in the first two majors of this season.
There was Koepka’s runner-up at the Masters, in which he held the 54-hole lead over Jon Rahm before finishing four shots behind the Spaniard. Then, a dominant performance at the PGA Championship, in which he closed with three straight rounds of 66, making one at least have to consider his lofty goal.
In his last 23 majors, Koepka has five wins, four times was runner-up and 11 times in the top 5. He finished in the top 10 more than 60 percent (14 of 23).
Koepka said it wasn’t until January that he finally “trusted” his knee and started to regain the form that has allowed him to be at his best when the lights are brightest.
“I knew it was stable,” he said. “It’s not going to do anything.
“But there was doubt for a very long time … you’re like, ‘man, is this ever going to be normal.’ And you start thinking this is the new normal and you don’t ever get back to what it was. It was just a big difference between being able to do things and actually feeling like … just feeling like yourself again.”
Koepka now has two weeks to prepare for the US Open, a major he won in 2017 and 2018. He’s not familiar with LACC, having played it once about a dozen years ago while he was at Florida State.
“I think the only thing I remember about it is the Playboy Mansion is off one of the holes, but that’s all,” Koepka said. “So I remember that. But other than that, I really have no recollection of any hole.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brooks Koepka talks about winning a lot more majors during LIV event