Justin Thomas: Comparing Brooks Koepka to Tiger Woods is unfair to everyone
If the comparisons weren’t already there before, they’re certainly rolling in now.
Brooks Koepka picked up his fourth major victory on Sunday at the PGA Championship, beating the field at Bethpage Black by two strokes after building an incredible seven-stroke lead heading into the final round.
Koepka now holds back-to-back titles at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, solidifying his spot at the top of the World Golf Rankings and climbing to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings.
Naturally, fans have started comparing Koepka to Tiger Woods — who has 81 PGA Tour wins throughout his career and completely changed the golf world.
Justin Thomas, though, doesn’t think that comparison is fair.
"You can't compare any of us to Tiger because the stuff that Tiger did — nobody has come close to,” said Thomas, who withdrew from the PGA Championship with a wrist injury. “Now if Brooks continues this run and does this for 15 years, yeah you can compare the two somewhat. The guy's won four majors. Tiger's won 15."
Comparing Woods and Koepka in their current state doesn’t make much sense, either. Koepka, at 29 years old, is in a very different place than the 43-year-old Woods — even with both of them winning a major this year. Woods is nearing the end of his career on Tour, while Koepka is in his prime.
But it’s Koepka’s dominant streak — five wins in the past three years while finishing in the top 13 in 12 of his last 14 major appearances — that has many thinking he can join Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen at 10 major victories. If he hits that mark, comparing Koepka to Woods may make more sense.
Regardless, Thomas said Koepka deserves his own respect. He’s more than earned that.
"They're just so different,” Thomas said, via USA Today. “It's not fair to Brooks either. Everyone should be bowing down to him and giving him the utmost respect because what he's done is nothing short of miraculous and unbelievable.
“I know I'm jealous of him. I'm just hoping somehow to do some of the same."
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