‘Pretty flat:’ Brooks Koepka rides struggle bus again through first round of Wydham Championship
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Brooks Koepka’s first round since faltering in Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship was another trip on the struggle bus.
On an overcast morning with intermittent sprinkles, Sedgefield Country Club played soft. With preferred lies in play, the course seemed there for the taking, but Koepka made four bogeys against two birdies during a 2-over round of 72 at the Wyndham Championship.
“Pretty flat,” Koepka said. “You know, being in contention the last two weeks playing, what, maybe sixth week in a row. A bit tired, to be honest with you.”
It doesn’t help that Koepka’s left knee continues to give him trouble, making it hard for him to get on his left side. He shot 4-over 74 on Sunday at TPC Harding Park and only beat one player in the field.
“Felt like the first time I haven’t had it in a while at a major,” Koepka said.
Wyndham Championship: Leaderboard
The quandary for Koepka is that while he’s improved from No. 155 in the FedEx Cup to No. 92 entering this week, he knows that if he doesn’t improve into the top 70 after next week’s Northern Trust, he’ll have time off. So, he’s playing for the sixth straight week, something he says he’s never done before.
“Even if I gain one spot in the FedEx, it makes it that much easier for next week, so you’ve got to play,” Koepka said. “My body’s nowhere near 100 percent, but at the same time it would be nice to have a couple weeks off to kind of get ready for the U.S. Open [in September].”
Koepka also addressed his comments that he made heading into the final round at the PGA Championship when he took shots at 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson and those in contention who lacked the major-championship success that he did.
Having already addressed the subject in a Golfweek exclusive, Koepka reiterated his apology to “the other guys,” in the hunt, but not to Johnson.
“I really didn’t look at the leaderboard. I saw Dustin was at 9, I was at 5 at that point and then made two coming in, so I really didn’t even know where I kind of stood,” Koepka said. “Didn’t really look coming off 18 and then went right to the interview, so I didn’t — I had no idea who was 8, who was 7. But I never really look at guys who are tied with me, I always kind of look ahead, so I had no idea. I get it, I get how it came across and I apologize for that.”
When asked if the media has made too much of the Koepka-Johnson friendship, of being workout buddies, Koepka didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We worked out for – I worked with Joey (Diovisalvi) for two years. Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know what you guys – you guys make your own stories, so I have no idea what you all do, but I think even the Jordan (Spieth) and Justin (Thomas) thing gets blown out too much. I think you guys overplay – you guys overplay a lot of things.”
