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FOX Sports leaves Brooks Koepka out of one of its U.S. Open promos, and the defending champion is NOT happy

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You would think winning back-to-back U.S. Open championships would entitle Brooks Koepka to an appearance in every promo for this week’s event at Pebble Beach. Fox Sports, however, think otherwise, and the decision to omit the defending champion from one of their commercials has left the four-time major winner fuming.

Koepka brought the subject up in his press conference on Tuesday, stating

“I actually didn’t see it for a long time. A bunch of people on Twitter I think tagged me in it, in the promo. And I guess they were amazed that I wasn’t in it. I just clicked on the link and saw it and watched it. Just kind of shocked. They’ve had over a year to kind of put it out. So I don’t know. Somebody probably got fired over it — or should.”

The 29-year-old also took the time to fire shots at those who have complained about the setup at the U.S. Open in recent years, stating that those complaining are just “not playing good enough”.

“Everybody’s got to play the same golf course. So it really doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t make a difference if you put it in the fairway and you hit every green. There’s really no problem, is there? So obviously they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do. They’re not playing good enough.”

The four-time major champion tees off on Thursday at 4.47 PM ET alongside Francesco Molinari and Viktor Hovland.

 

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Donald W Ciriacks

    Jun 15, 2019 at 11:35 am

    oohh….so Fox is now covering golf?? (sarcasm)

  2. Krooks

    Jun 13, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Go easy on the harsh comments. Brooks might see this and get his feelings hurt.

  3. bruce

    Jun 13, 2019 at 8:48 am

    if Koepka wants to be marketable and on promos he might want to try to stop being such a huge dousche

  4. James

    Jun 13, 2019 at 12:37 am

    Let’s try a different perspective. If Tiger Woods was going for 3 Opens in a row, every news story and every sentence spoken on network would be about Tiger. When he won the Masters, every…. single….. story on Golf Digest website was Tiger Woods for 3 days.

    Boring.

  5. Crusher

    Jun 12, 2019 at 10:58 pm

    Yah, well Fox Sports isn’t exactly the first name in golf. In fact, their US Open coverage has stunk. With the USGA homers Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger kissing butt of the USGA during their poor rulings decisions and the fact that they would be the 2 biggest whiners in golf if they had to play under past USGA conditions, I don’t blame BK for being miffed. But hey, another BK win this weekend and he can tell Fox Sports to shove it and get back to covering Football. Also, Fox Sports the biggest wast of Holly Saunders talent. She has to realize she isn’t going anywhere with that network covering football. Heck, Amanda Balionis is a bigger household name then Holly now because of golf.

  6. Just a thought

    Jun 12, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    Probably doesnt help that he is one of if not THE most boring people in golf (or in the world). Hard to get excited about someone who shows ZERO emotion. A blank stare doesnt sell much. When ever you see commercials with Tiger in them it usually has a shot of his excitement.

  7. JThunder

    Jun 12, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    I have to agree with Brooks – he’s going for 3 US Opens in a row, 2 majors in a row… He should be a prime topic on all Open promo. This is why golf loses when Tiger is not around – no one bothers to tell ALL the other stories going on. If Tiger had that record coming in, it would be the talk 24/7 since the PGA.

    Fox golf coverage is the worst on TV by a wide, wide margin. I can’t even watch with the sound on. It’s like the whole crew has never seen a tournament before – where the cameras are pointed, who they cut to, the announcers… No surprise that they don’t know who Brooks is.

  8. Dan

    Jun 12, 2019 at 1:57 pm

    Like jim or not it’s amazing how little respect he gets considering he’s won 4 majors, 2 being the last 2 US Opens

    • Chris

      Jun 12, 2019 at 5:37 pm

      Probably because he plays lousy on non major weeks

  9. James

    Jun 12, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Not a wh*re for the media has consequences. Good riddance. Fox is owned by Disney anyway. Nothing but grown children with scripted talking points.

  10. BD

    Jun 12, 2019 at 12:53 pm

    I really hope he doesn’t win. Talk about a prima donna.

  11. n

    Jun 12, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    Imagine suggesting someone should be fired because you weren’t in all of one broadcaster’s commercials, madness. I like Koepka, but he’s starting to get a bit much now and he’s not doing himself any favours.

  12. NTL

    Jun 12, 2019 at 12:06 pm

    He has to find something to get him motivated. 3 of the 4 fox commercials he was in an he is complaining???

  13. Gunter Eisenberg

    Jun 12, 2019 at 11:59 am

    Brooks Koepka is the Rodney Dangerfield of golf…he gets no respect.

  14. JL1127

    Jun 12, 2019 at 11:32 am

    I swear he’s been getting salty as of late… I get it, don’t get me wrong, but how does being in US Open promos help you win? Do you want to win or do you want to be in commercials? Yes, you can be in both, but if you’re not in the promos then just focus on winning the tourney

  15. John

    Jun 12, 2019 at 11:30 am

    What an ego maniac. No wonder no one cares about him.

  16. BJ

    Jun 12, 2019 at 10:20 am

    Is that a shot at Phil?

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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