19th Hole
Brooks Koepka: This 2021 major venue ‘suits me down to the ground’
Brooks Koepka was a guest Wednesday evening on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio’s Beyond the Tips and had plenty to say on this year’s major tournaments as well as how his major preparation differs compared to regular tour events.
The 30-year-old is keen to add to his current major tally of four in 2021, and when asked which major venue besides Augusta he is looking forward to most this year, Koepka revealed that he has his eyes fixed firmly on the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
*All quotes courtesy of SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio*
“Well, I’m just going to say, because I’ve done pretty good at them, I kind of like Kiawah. I think that’s going to be a good setup for me just personally, just the way I play. Tough golf courses, I like those. It suits me down to the ground. I feel like I’ve always played well at PGAs.
And then, you know, Torrey will be interesting. I know I’ve won two of my majors on Poa, but I’m not the most comfortable putter on Poa Annua. For some reason I struggle with it. I mean, like I said, I know I’ve won, but it’s just not my most comfortable green to putt on. I’m more of a Bermuda and Bent guy. But I think that might be my best chance because it is a ball strikers golf course.
And then after that I mean I love the British Open. I just think it’s so much fun, but I would definitely give myself the benefit of the doubt at a Kiawah. I think that would be the one where I’m really looking forward to.”
Brooks has never held back on how much he views the four events as the career-definers, and when asked by a fan how his preparation for those four tournaments differs from the rest, the 30-year-old had this to say:
“It’s really hard to answer that one, but I kind of know the answer, and it’s hard to explain to people. It’s like the moment we get on the plane and go from the week before or if it’s an off-week from when we land, they’ve always said they can see the difference in my attitude, the way I go about things, it’s very serious and very regimented.
No matter what happens, I always play 9 holes every day. I feel like I try and save my energy because I’m so mentally exhausted when it comes to Sunday. In contention or out of contention, I’m just dead come Sunday afternoon. But I always play 9 holes every day, never try and practice too much after or before because once you arrive there, you should already have it.
I already feel like I’ve mentally beat everybody because I feel like I’m so strong-willed that when I get there, I’m like ‘I’m going to win, and I need to win, and I’m going to do anything I have to win’.”
Koepka also stated that his only goal when playing a major championship is not to make a double bogey as “it takes two holes to recover from a double”.
While the Florida native added that his one-stroke defeat to Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters bore down to his double at the second hole during Friday’s round of the championship.
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19th Hole
Notah Begay gives gloomy update on Tiger’s injuries ahead of 2024 Masters
While speaking with USA Today, Tiger Woods’ good friend, Notah Begay III, discussed the health of the 15-time major champion.
“He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints,” Begay said. “He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
At Begay’s tournament he hosts that Tiger’s son Charlie played in, Tiger told him, “My ankle doesn’t move. So, something’s going to take the stress. I mean, the stress is going to transfer somewhere else.”
At the Genesis Invitational, that pain transferred to Woods’ back, causing him to withdraw from the tournament.
“For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” Begay added. “He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”
Last year, Woods made the cut at Augusta, but was forced to withdraw over the weekend due to plantar fasciitis.
The week will be sure to test Tiger, as Augusta National is one of the most difficult walks in golf.
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- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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19th Hole
Tommy Fleetwood provides the simple reason why he was spotted at LIV event earlier this year
Earlier this season, PGA Tour star Tommy Fleetwood was spotted alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm at LIV Las Vegas. The European was off that week and was catching up with some of his Ryder Cup teammates at the golf course.
While speaking with The Guardian, the Englishman explained his reasoning for going to the event.
“I really didn’t think that much about it. I was over there, lots of us talk about LIV but never see it so I wanted to see what a tournament was like.
“There are also so many people there that we don’t see any more, who I would still class as friends. Players, people who work on the tour, my trainer works there. So, I had a free morning, went for a few hours and that was it.”
When asked if he knew that his appearance would cause some speculation, Fleetwood acknowledged that he knew it was a possibility.
“It was pretty obvious that would happen but it is difficult when you know there is nothing to it and a lot of people want to make something of it,” Fleetwood said. “That’s just the way things are. I didn’t want to feel like I couldn’t go just because people would say things. I think it came across that I just wanted to go and see friends and that really was the main thing. It was nice to see a lot of people.”
“I obviously know what I am doing, where I am playing. You can’t do much about what’s said elsewhere. It was the same as going to that event, I knew why I was there. I don’t find it distracting at all.”
Fleetwood also gave The Guardian his thoughts on LIV and how the players seemed when he made the visit.
“They are obviously doing pretty well for what they are. The players seem to enjoy it, seem to enjoy playing on that tour; one of the first things I noticed was that everybody seems happy, chilled, relaxed.”
“There are certain things I wasn’t used to; the music, I don’t know how I would feel about playing with that. Beyond that my biggest takeaway was that it was just another golf tournament. Everyone seemed very professional and working very hard. It’s basically just a bunch of people who you knew out here that are now there. So many things have just carried over.”
The 33-year-old is set to tee it up at this week’s Valero Texas Open. He’s struggled a bit so far this season, so he will be looking to find form prior to his trip to Augusta National.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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19th Hole
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
On Wednesday, the New York Times published a story about Tiger Woods’ 2024 Masters preparation.
According to the article, a friend of Woods told them that he is so focused on Augusta that he’s eliminated sex.
“He’s focused,” Tiger’s friend says. “He’s working really hard in the gym. He’s eating right. He’s even eliminated sex.
“He does that now when he’s preparing: no sex until the tournament is over. He doesn’t want anything to take away his focus.”
The New York Post followed up by asking Woods’ friend if he’s dating anyone since he and his previous girlfriend of six years Erica Herman split.
“There’s no one to speak of,” he said.
Tiger will head into the Masters without having played four rounds of golf since the Hero World Challenge back in December.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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