Brooks Koepka has gone 2-1-2 in the first three majors this season.
He called it disappointing.
“It’s incredible,” he said Tuesday, “but at the same time, it’s been quite disappointing.
“Finishing second sucks, it really does,” he said. “But you’ve got to get over it and realize that any time you put yourself in contention, you learn from it and move on. I’m trying to finish off a good major run here.”
We’ve heard that before, many years ago from one Eldrick Tont Woods, the line about second place. Yeah, sorry Brooks, Tiger beat you to that one.
Koepka is trying to make history this week. No player, ever, in the history of the sport has finished first or second in all four major championships. Koepka will have his chance this week at the 148th Open Championship.
Koepka talked about the team around him and spoke glowingly of his coaches — Claude Harmon III and Pete Cowen.
“If I short-side myself now, I’ve got three different shots with three different clubs to get up-and-down,” Koepka said of his work with short-game guru Cowen.
He then told how simplistic his work is with Harmon. “In all our time together, we only work on three things,” Koepka revealed.
“I don’t think about my swing once I’m out there on the course,” Koepka said.
Koepka once again reiterated to the European scribes that majors are the easiest of the tournament to win.
“Yeah, still the same,” he said nonchalantly. “Unless one side of the wave (tee times) gets bad weather. If conditions are the same for everyone, yeah, still the same.”
Koepka has an added advantage this week. His caddie, Ricky Elliott, is a former junior member at Royal Portrush and brings more knowledge than most of the other caddies in the field.
“Yeah, Ricky’s gonna be with me for a long time,” Koepka said with a confident smile.
Koepka has drawn late-early tee times. He goes off at 1:04 Thursday afternoon (8:04 am edt) and 8:03 Friday morning (3:03 am edt).
He plays with Louie Oosthuizen and Shubhankar Sharma.
