MARANA (AZ) — This Brooks Koepka is what we remember from when the four-time majors champions were the talk of golf.
“I feel like my game has taken me to the right place. “I’m very happy.”
This is not the case.
“I cannot compete with these guys week after week.”
The first was taken on Thursday after Koepka’s Pro-Am and before the start LIV Tucson at Gallery Golf Club.
This was the result of the Netflix series “Full Swing,” in which a mentally fragile Koepka appeared as vulnerable as ever after dominating the PGA Tour.
Then there was this: Koepka was asked to respond to viewers of the docuseries. He said that he was unsure how he would answer the question.
“I don’t care. They can think what they want.
Mentally, this man who was able to focus with laser-like precision and have steely nerves spent 47 weeks at No. 1, appears to be back after he regained his confidence and his health has improved.
That has not yet been confirmed physically. Koepka was tied for 27th in the 48 man field at LIV’s Mexico season opener three weeks ago. He missed the cut and tied for 46th in two Asian Tour events.
Koepka fell out of the Top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking this Week (102) for the first-time in nine years. This is partly due to LIV not being eligible for ranking points, but also because it is indicative of his game’s decline.
Koepka’s shaken confidence was caused by a long battle with injuries, which at one point left him questioning his future in the game.
Koepka made the decision to show his emotions, vulnerability, and genuine feeling about his game during the filming.
Koepka stated Wednesday, “Listen, my villain role has been played.” “I am always open about where I am at the moment and what I feel. There has been no change. Only honest about how I felt.
“Most of what was depicted as me in golf is just my perception. Injury is a big reason they left out so much of it. Ask any athlete who has ever suffered an injury. It can cause you to lose your confidence.
After he injured ligaments and dislocated his kneecap, Wednesday marked the 2 year anniversary of his surgery. He had slipped in Florida 10 days before sustaining the injury.
He was able to have most of his kneecap removed.
Koepka tried to play the Masters less that a month later. He was, as expected, not selected.
Koepka stated that “the world doesn’t know half of what is going on” or how serious it was. “Nobody knows.” This was the first time ever that this surgery was performed.
“The top side had chipped, so they had to get in the underside. They had to be in four places. “A small bit of my kneecap remains.”
After suffering from a partially torn patella tendon, Koepka had a stem-cell procedure on his left leg. This injury prevented Koepka from properly shifting his weight to the left, which further aggraved a hip injury.
Koepka, one month after his stem cell procedure was completed, was diagnosed with a torn Labrum and had to have surgery to reaggravate his left knee. He fell on concrete during the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea.
Koepka was as impenetrable during his four majors, which began at the 2017 U.S. Open. He became even more fragile after the 2019 PGA Championship.
Koepka was unable to bend his right leg for most of 2021, so he squatted down on his left leg and extended his right knee to read a putt. It led to a disappointing two-year period with far fewer highlights — a top ten finish in the 2021 U.S Open, a T-3 finish in the 2022 WM Phoenix Open and winning his first LIV tournament in October — but more frustrations: withdrawing from 2021 Tour Championship, failing to make the cut in two majors, and finishing 55th in two other majors last year.
Although the knee is still swollen, Koepka claims it’s better than it has ever looked.
He said, “Last year was still not anywhere near.” “Right now, I’m exactly where and when I want to. I feel the same as before. I can do more than I did in 2019.
“Strength is beginning to get back to where it should be. It’s not something I feel every day.
The attitude is back. Is the game on its way?
