Why It’s Easy To Root For Brooks Koepka Now

I’ve never been the biggest Brooks Koepka fan but I think that may be changing.

And it has nothing to do with LIV or the PGA Tour.

Koepka’s arrival as one of golf’s greats was exciting. He won four major championships in 23 months—later adding a fifth—while embodying many of the qualities that make an athlete easy to root for.

Seeing a player consistently bring his absolute best on the biggest stages of the year is a rarity. We’ve probably never seen anyone raise their level in golf as much as Koepka did for a few years when arriving at major championship weeks.

It’s also refreshing to see bluntness in the game. Koepka didn’t deal with any nonsense. He showed up to majors ready to win and wasn’t afraid of anyone standing in his way. When talking to the press, Koepka didn’t shy away from saying he was the best player and that much of the field didn’t have a chance against him. We need more of that style in golf.

But there was one major issue.

Despite his achievements, Koepka didn’t seem to care much about golf or the fans

Some people may have liked that about Koepka. But as a golf nerd, it was off-putting how Koepka seemed to always try convincing people how little he cared.

There are plenty of memorable examples. More recently, Koepka sat down with the polarizing Jake Paul and discussed the country-club upbringing that many players share. I do find Koepka’s rise to the top impressive and intriguing but he followed that up by taking shots at golfers and joking that they aren’t “real” athletes.

There’s also been the “I don’t care what anyone thinks about me” quotes, the claims that he doesn’t practice and just plays golf when you see him on TV—and the time he said he wasn’t doing media because he finds it boring.

His general apathetic attitude toward golf goes much further back. Koepka has said he never watches golf at home. He called himself “an athlete,” not a golf nerd who cares about the game’s history.

Players don’t necessarily need to care about the game’s history. But it feels much easier for me to root for someone who understands and appreciates the legacy they are trying to leave.

Even worse, much of Koepka’s apathy seemed to be a front

There were plenty of signs that Koepka did care a lot. He does practice, especially for majors. And he may work as hard as anyone in the gym. While he’s not a range rat like an Alex Noren, Koepka created his own narrative that he didn’t bother preparing for regular tournaments.

And it’s clear Koepka cared about golf growing up and paid attention to the greats. His admiration for Tiger Woods has always been evident including a quote saying he grew up his whole life watching him.

It was frustrating to watch one of the best players of his generation act as if none of it meant much to him, despite most signs pointing to the contrary.

For what it’s worth, I have a similar gripe about Scottie Scheffler but in a much different style.

But Koepka seems ready to finally embrace the sport and its fans

Maturation is a beautiful thing. At 35, Koepka seems to have reached a different stage in his life. I don’t want to make this about LIV versus PGA Tour because I don’t think that has much to do with it.

After Koepka tried to convince us for 10 years that he didn’t care what anyone thought of him, he finally told us the truth last week.

When a reporter asked why he was nervous to play, Koepka said: “Because I care. I’ve fallen back in love with the game.”

He’s done trying to convince us that he doesn’t care.

That checks the two boxes that kept me from cheering him on.

The other boxes have always been checked off. Koepka’s golf has often been brilliant. He’s a powerful athlete but possesses the golf IQ and course management that many before him didn’t have. He walks through the fairways like nobody has a chance at beating him, providing the electricity and magnetism that fans always want to see.

Koepka went into much more detail on his return, explaining the reasons for his decision and more before the tournament started. If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it.

I think professional golf will be in a much better place if Koepka can return to a high level

One of the beautiful things about the sport is seeing the growth of people we have watched play through their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.

In 2019, we watched one of the greatest sports stories of all time when Tiger came back from more than a decade of troubles and injuries to win the Masters.

Phil Mickelson finally won a major in 2004 after years and years of heartbreak. In 2021, we watched him win the PGA Championship at 51 years of age.

In 2017, we saw Sergio Garcia finally win his first major when it seemed it would never happen and it was at the very course he had often said he never had a chance at.

Last year, we watched Rory McIlroy finally exorcise his demons to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta in one of the most riveting rounds imaginable.

When we think a player’s story is over in golf, it often isn’t.

Last week’s story was simple. He walked off the green and enjoyed seeing his family after making the cut.

I hope Koepka has more left in store for us and I’m excited to root him on when he does.