“It wasn't just a random show up on the tee" – Brooks Koepka says Rory McIlroy texted him after LIV Golf win and set up the Augusta practice round
Fans were shocked to see Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy paired up for the practice round at the Augusta National Golf Course. Despite LIV Golf and the PGA Tour struggling to be on the same page, Koepka and McIlroy's friendship seemingly remained unaffected by the divisions.
Dylan Dethier, the writer for Golf Magazine, revealed in his tweet that Brooks Koepka received a congratulatory text from Rory McIlroy on Sunday, April 2, after he won the LIV Golf Orlando. Dethier tweeted:
"Koepka: 'He texted me congrats on Sunday, then I asked him if he wanted to play. We had that scheduled — it wasn't just a random show up on the tee.'"
How'd this Rory-Brooks practice round come together?
Koepka: "He texted me congrats on Sunday, then I asked him if he wanted to play. We had that scheduled — it wasn't just a random show up on the tee."
After the round, Brooks Koepka had a chat with the media and said:
“I think everybody forgets that we see each other in off weeks and play with each other and talk with each other. There's an open line of communication there between me and him. I think we're both pretty honest in where we're at.”
Brooks Koepka is making his seventh appearance at The Masters. He finished runner-up in 2019. But due to his injuries, he missed the cut in two straight tournaments. However, this year, he will join the Augusta field with more confidence as Koepka won the second LIV Golf event in Orlando on April 2.
"We're still close with these guys" - Brooks Koepka talks about the PGA Tour players
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf battle have been making headlines over the past year. However, the two rival series players finally came together to compete in a major tournament.
Brooks Koepka spoke about the Tour players in conversation with the press on Tuesday. He revealed that he had played with them for a long time and had no grudges against them. Koepka confessed that he shares a healthy bond with PGA Tour players.
The LIV Golf player said:
“We haven't played with these guys in a long time, so just getting out to go play with them has been nice because it's been a lot of just seeing everybody. It's been probably, I don't know, eight months since we've seen a lot of guys."
He added:
"We're still close with these guys. Everything's been good, man. We're still the same people.”
Rory McIlroy also opened up about the LIV Golf players on Tuesday before the practice round. He talked about Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka while interacting with the media. McIlroy said:
"You know, it's OK to get on with Brooks and DJ and maybe not get on with some other guys that went to LIV. It's interpersonal relationships, that's just how it goes. This week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that, I feel, and it's just great that all of the best players in the world are together again for the first time in what seems to be quite a while.”
It is important to note that 88 golfers will compete at the 2023 Masters and 18 of them will be LIV Golf players.