PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka would ‘love to play’ Ryder Cup after ‘choking’ at The Masters
Brooks Koepka is not focused on a possible Ryder Cup place but would like to play for captain Zach Johnson if chosen
Brooks Koepka is not focused on a possible Ryder Cup place but would like to play for captain Zach Johnson if chosen
Brooks Koepka admits he would like to force his way into Zach Johnson’s Ryder Cup plans as he looks to bounce back from “choking” in The Masters at the PGA Championship.
Koepka took a four-shot lead into the final day at Augusta National and stayed two ahead of Jon Rahm going into the final round, where he struggled to a three-over 75 to miss out on a first major victory since 2019.
The former world No 1 told the Sorry My Take podcast: “Yeah, I’d characterize that as a choke. It was pretty bad. I mean c’mon. You’ve got a four-shot lead. I was playing good and just choked it away. But it’s alright, we’ll figure it out.”
Highlights from Koepka’s final round at The Masters, where he squandered his lead and finished four strokes behind Jon Rahm
Asked about those comments ahead of the PGA Championship, Koepka claimed he was “just messing around” before adding: “It is choking, right? If you have a lead and cough it up, that’s choking. But at the same time, I’m not dwelling on it.”
Koepka then added: “I didn’t sleep Sunday night, just trying to figure out what exactly it was. Thought about it for a few days after and really homed in on what I was doing and what went wrong. From there just never let it happen again.
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“I’ve been in that position a couple of times and haven’t capitalized. I can’t do it every single time. I’m not perfect. As long as I can learn from it, I’ll be better off from it.”
Could Koepka feature for Team USA?
Ryder Cup captain Johnson said the possibility of LIV players featuring in the Ryder Cup is currently “not even a discussion item”, with American players still eligible for this year’s edition of the biennial contest despite being banned or having resigned from the PGA Tour.
US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has refused to be drawn on whether he will be picking players from LIV Golf for this year’s event
Six wildcards will complete Johnson’s team in Rome this September, adding to the six automatic qualifiers, with Koepka currently 22nd in the qualification standings heading into this week’s major at Oak Hill.
“It would be awesome to represent the United States,” Koepka added. “Anytime we do it it’s always fun, but I’m not focused on it. It’s not my first thought when I go play well this week. If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself.
Koepka is one of 16 players from LIV in action at the PGA Championship
“If you win, go second, first, first, first, it would be kind of tough not to pick, right? If you go handle business, I feel like I should be fine. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Zach and what goes on.
“I just play my best and see what happens from there, but I would love to play for him. It’s tough to be in Zach’s mind or where he is at, but I would love to make it hard on him.
Koepka (right) and Dustin Johnson (left) hope to feature for Team USA in the Ryder Cup, despite their move to LIV
“I think that would be cool. The only thing I can do is go play good. If I play well, everything takes care of itself. Like I said, it’s not up to me. I’m not the one making the decisions. I can only go play golf.”
Johnson: ‘I don’t need to keep proving myself’
Dustin Johnson is among the other LIV contingent hoping to feature for Team USA, two years on from winning all five of his matches in their record-breaking win at Whistling Straits, although he is unsure whether he will get to make another Ryder Cup appearance.
Speaking ahead of the PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson admitted he would still love to play in this year’s Ryder Cup, despite being part of LIV Golf
“I have no idea if I’d get picked,” Johnson said. “Obviously if I continue to play really well for the rest of the year, then obviously there’s a chance. I would definitely like to play in the Ryder Cup. It’s one of my favorite events to play in, especially after the last Ryder Cup.
“I’ve known Zach for a long time, so I’m sure he’s keeping an eye on things. You just never know. Obviously play well in the majors, the next three majors, and just play some good, solid, consistent golf from here on out the rest of the year, who knows what will happen.
“I think I’ve proven myself out here for a long enough time where I don’t need to keep proving myself. I already have for many years. Same with all the other guys. It’s just where we play at. It doesn’t change the style of golfer we are.”
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