19th Hole

‘Everyone was b*****g and complaining’ – Brooks Koepka explains the ‘chaos’ he thrives on at majors

Published

3 years ago

Jun 13, 2023

Only nine days ago, the golf world was shaken by the news of an alliance between former fierce rivals, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and LIV (via their Saudi connection and the PIF).

Related: Moderator shuts down reporter over merger question at Matt Fitzpatrick U.S. Open presser

It’s been a wild week, but now amidst that storm, there is a major championship to play for, with Brooks Koepka going for second consecutive major victory.

Related: ‘Are you an idiot?’ – Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie rips journalist for 18th hole layup criticism

Koepka perhaps should have won both of the opening majors, letting a two-shot lead slip at Augusta before winning comfortably at Oak Hill. Unlike some, he is revelling in all of it.

“The more chaotic things get, the easier it gets for me.”

“Everything starts to slow down, and I am able to focus on whatever I need to focus on while everybody else is dealing with distractions, worried about other things,” he continued before giving an example of “chaotic.”

“First one that popped into my head was Shinnecock. Everyone was b******g and complaining.”

“They were all so focused on the golf course. I think they all forgot about what was going on, that they were there to play a major championship. Instead of yeah, okay, the greens are pretty fast, but if you leave yourself with an uphill putt, it’s not too bad.”

Of Koepka’s nine PGA Tour wins, only four are non-majors, and at three of those, he beat a former or subsequent major champion.

“I’m pretty sure I know what it takes to compete in majors,” he said confidently. “I’ve won five of them and been second four times. And just over my track record, how to prepare when you’re here, how to prepare when you’re home for it, I’ve got that, I guess, on lock.”

Brooks is clear about which event has meant the most to him.

“They all mean something different, but this last one, for all the stuff I had to deal with, all the pain, the tears, all the stuff that went into it,” he admitted.

He continued, “Like I said, there’s probably five, seven people in this whole world that really know what I went through and that were there every step of the way. I think they enjoyed it, maybe even more than I did.”

Soon after he lifted the Wanamaker trophy, Koepka’s coach, Pete Cowan, said that he felt his charge would “win a lot more” and that “he will go another four.”

His pupil isn’t arguing against that viewpoint.

“Don’t get me wrong it’s better than 4 (his 5 majors). Double digits is where I’m trying to get to and don’t think it’s out of the question for me. I’m only 33.”

“That’s what you’re judged on. It’s a major championship. You look at basketball, you’re judged on how many championships you’ve won, not how many games you’ve won. Same thing in every sport,” he told the media.

He may have shown his game face, but he hasn’t lost his mischievous side.

On leaving the press tent, Koepka left the media crowd with a wry nod to the chaos of the week, and the notion that very few people know where, and for whom, they are likely to be playing in the near future.

“See you guys at Travelers next week!”

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

1 month ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”