Brooks Koepka has no interest in wearing a microphone on the golf course.
That didn’t stop him from coming up with the best R-rated line last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Standing off the green, watching Jon Rahm chip in for birdie, Brooksie casually remarked: “Pretty f#%king good there.” That one about knocked Jim Nantz out of his seat at the 18th tower.
Fast forward to Harbour Town Golf Links and Brooksie has some choice words for the talking heads that make up the broadcast teams:
“If the announcers would just shut up and listen, you could hear every word that we’re talking about. I don’t understand what the thing is. Half the time the lady’s holding a boom mic, and she’s listening to everything we’re saying all the way down. If they would just shut up, they could hear everything.”
Good point by Koepka. “I don’t understand why they want us to wear a mic when there’s a boom mic that stands 10 feet away from every shot that I hit.”
After a lackluster showing last week, Koepka started to look more like himself Thursday. He opened with 67, just three back of the first round leaders. He was the best of the top five. His finish last week dropped him from third to fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings. Didn’t matter, he was the best of the top five on day one.
World’s No. 1 was no ball of fire. Rory McIlroy looked like he was suffering from a Sunday In Fort Worth hangover. He closed with 74 at Colonial and on Thursday, struggled for most of the day. He had to birdie his final hole, the ninth, to shoot one-over par 72.
Jon Rahm was slightly better, he shot even par 71. No. 3 Justin Thomas shot over par — 72.
Dustin Johnson was a shot back of Koepka, but it could have been so much better for D.J. He was three-under for his round when he left his tee shot at the par three hanging right — splash! His water-ball led to a triple-bogey six but he fought back with two birdies on the way in to post 68.
Adam Hadwin Wears The Unlucky Mic:
This week’s mic-wearer at the RSM Classic is Canadian Adam Hadwin. It was an interesting eavesdrop.
At the par four 13th, Hadwin found a fairway bunker on the left side of the hole. He moved one rock from behind his ball then reached for what he thought was another rock. “I think that’s a violation,” he said to his caddie as what he thought was a rock, was actually a tiny clump of sand. “I thought it was a rock — I grabbed it and it dissolved in my fingers — it was sand.”
Hadwin sent for a rules official, who verified what Hadwin already knew. It was indeed a violation, a two-shot penalty.
“Thanks, screw you but thanks,” Hadwin chuckled as the tour official drove off.
Hadwin went on to shoot over par — 72 — same fate Rickie Fowler suffered at Colonial on day one.
For the record, the un-miced Fowler shot 67 on Thursday.
6 Comments
baxter cepeda
It is true.
Still A Guy like Hadwin, whom knows he isn’t necessarily whom fans want micd up— shows his character in helping out by wearing a mic. And thanks to that mic —and the dreaded sand pebble penalty — we got to see Adams great character even more. Hadwin clearly made a lot of fans this week.
Based on my prediction I’m a bit Surprised brooks and DJ showed up. Should have known Those two don’t need much time to play back into shape.
Still, it’s amazing they reined themselves in so properly. That discipline was expected from Bryson, but aside from that silly triple for DJ and that sloppy 3 putt for Brooks on 18, so far so good for the bash brothers of golf. There’s gonna be some prototype bombers in contention at Hilton Head.
The thing lost in the concerns about the distances in golf is that specifically Bryson, DJ and Brooks are all amazing golfers as well as bombers.
Critics want for such amazingly complete players to be tested properly…and no not a drive and wedge contest as Chamblee seems to be defending. For what reason?
Lerner is trying to reason but brandel gets lost searching for contradicting eloquence.
Everyone knows golf has a distance problem. It’s almost like Chamblee is politicizing it. Trying to convince golfers Not to give up to those hippies trying to standardize equipment.
Golfs distance problem has a week off thanks to Harbor Towns genius design, but few places have the bones to play defense with towering pines and oaks.
At some point Most courses are gonna need a little help from the usga and rna. With 2 Masters in 6 months coming up this issue may be coming to a head sooner rather than later.
Tom Edrington
Well, the bomber percentage is small so far, Berger last week, Webbie in the thick of it this week; I just think Bryson’s short game is limited by the same-length shafts and those gosh-awful fat grips; I tried one when they first came out, guy gave me one at the Show to try….put it on a 3-wood — it stayed on there about 30 days — that’s all.
baxter cepeda
Berger sends it! He was cutting major corners also last week.
Bryson’s short game is limited but that man is less limited than anyone in golf right now…if that makes sense. I do wonder why not have one short shaft 60 wedge. The driver is a bit longer, so why not make the shortest club a bit shorter? But again, few limitations for Bryson. Imo he would be winning the US Open this week. The major postponements are a shame for Bryson more than anyone right now.
Tom Edrington
You fell into that 36-hole trap; He faded badly on Saturday; Any major that grow serious rough will trap those wild drives of his; Remember, a 200 mph ball speed means slight misses go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off line.
baxter cepeda
Not anymore.
It was described on GC that today’s drivers have a sweet spot the size of a dollar coin, as opposed to a dime not too long ago.
All these new drivers get longer as they also reduce big misses; especially for top players.
And the thing is Bryson knows exactly what is going on and what he is doing to take advantage.
He isn’t pushing too far. Como said to Breed that Bryson is pushing ball speed only as far as reasonable; which for now is approaching 200!
Stats show Bryson is getting more accurate as he gets longer.
It’s crazy really.
Bryson did quite well playing small ball at Harbor town in the end. He would have had an even better US Open this week.
It’s not like some rye rough would slow Bryson down much anyhow.
Tom Edrington
We’ll wait and see how The Snail does at Winged Foot!