TULSA, Akla. – Brooks Kopka’s day started badly on Tuesday when he was about an hour late arriving at the Southern Hills Country Club after his keys were locked in his car.
When the car is running. And clubs it in the trunk.
Koepka, who blamed coach Jeff Pierce, is still not sure how it happened.
“It confuses me,” he said. “I didn’t think the car should do it, but apparently it does.”
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When Keygate was resolved – a spare was delivered – Koepka was able to return to a key part of his game that had recently embarrassed him.
Kapka missed the cut on the Masters and is guilty of his filing. It took about three weeks and then started working with his coach.
“I started polishing, working with Jeff on the production because I felt it was really something that let me down in August, and it disappointed me, and it ended up that I just got angry,” he said. “And let it flow into my swing and the rest of my golf.”
Now, after leaving Byron Nelson last week to make sure he’s ready to participate in the PGA, the Jupiter resident seems to have regained the arrogance that – for two years – has made him one of the scariest players in the big sport. .
Seven majors back from the last Kaepka championship
Kapka won four majors – two PGA and two US Open – in 2017-19 and participated in several others. That was seven majors ago. Although Kepka suffered various injuries and stopped and started entering the top 10 in major competitions after winning the PGA 2019 at Bethpage Black, his world rankings ranged from 15th to 21st this season ( it currently ranks 18th) spot for 47 weeks at a time.
But after a long hiatus – he hasn’t played since the Masters – Koepko has targeted his schedule for this week.
“I feel ready and now I just need to play well,” he said. “Simple.”
Kaepka’s break was expected after the Masters. After all, he and girlfriend Jena Sims have to plan a wedding; they will get married this summer. But the long break between majors was unusual. He usually plays at least one event.
Much of that time was spent getting to know his stick and his stroke, whether it meant rolling him in his living room or doing what he said he never did while watching himself on YouTube.
“I went back and watched on YouTube videos of all the major championships I ever won and what I did when I taught,” he said. “Picked up a few different things, a few things to customize, a couple of things by touches, just to understand where the touch was. The touch was a little inaccurate. It’s not quite right.
“But it goes back to what I feel and looks very similar to what it was in years past.”
The majors bring out the best in the Slipper. No matter what happens to his game other than injuries, he finds a way to become a factor in most major games. He’s just a different approach to the week, which he says he’s trying to transfer to regular Tour events.
With eight PGA Tour titles in his career, Koepka has as many wins in major competitions as in non-major ones.
“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Kapka, who has 14:03 for the first round on Thursday. He is grouped with Shane Lowry and Adam Scott.
“Winning in a major is harder, so it’s different from a regular Tour. I think you can see that when we play on tougher golf courses, look at the leaderboard and then when we play when it’s 30 “Less. I think there is a difference.”
Kapka doesn’t want to talk about Phil Mickelson
Blocking specialty week is not an issue. This means a tunnel vision when it comes to external distractions – such as when the keys are locked in a car – or talking about the most discussed topic of the week: the absence of Phil Mickelson.
A year ago Koepka was paired with Mickelson in the last round of the PGA and took second place, witnessing Mickelson’s historic victory up close. But don’t expect Koepka to be warm and fuzzy. Asked about this last round, Kapka replies that he gave it away.
Koepku was then asked how surprised he was that Mickelson chose not to defend his title because of his support for the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series and critics of the PGA Tour.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to what someone else is doing. I saw the articles he played. Then he didn’t play. It all depends on him, dude. Whatever he wants to do.”
Tom D’Angelo is a journalist Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can contact him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
PGA Championship
Thursday-Sunday
Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Akla.
