“You don’t want to let the other guys down” - Brooks Koepka on playing the Ryder Cup as Zach Johnson’s controversial captain’s pick
Brooks Koepka is elated by the Ryder Cup selection. Despite the heat, the LIV Golfer is looking forward to playing the event in Rome as part of Zach Johnson’s 12-man squad. Being boldly candid about the pick, Koepka stated that he’s “most nervous” about the event but knows that he “doesn’t want to let the other guys on the team down.”
It is pertinent to note that Koepka’s picks brought some heat to Team USA’s captain, Zach Johnson. The PGA Tour fans had openly spoken up against picking him over the likes of Keegan Bradley and Lucas Glover due to his association with LIV Golf. However, the five-time major winner says he’s ready to be one of the 12 Americans teeing it up in Italy as he’ll be ‘playing for something bigger than himself.’
Opening up on his US Ryder Cup team pick, Brooks Koepka told Sky Sports:
“I think you’re just playing for something bigger than yourself (at the Ryder Cup). You don’t want to let the other guys on the team down. It’s a fun event.
It’s the most nervous I’ve ever been in a golf tournament was teeing it up at the Ryder Cup. I’ve enjoyed it, and every time I’ve played, I’ve just tried and go get a point for the team.”
The LIV star admitting to being “nervous” is shocking. It is noteworthy that the 33-year-old golfer is in stellar form, winning his fifth major and third PGA Championship title earlier this year and also finishing runner-up in Augusta at the Masters. Koepka also holds a 6-5-1 Ryder Cup record, making him a strong addition to the American side.
When Brooks Koepka said 'it would be awesome to represent the US team' as a LIV Golfer
Earlier in May, Koepka had claimed that he wasn’t much bothered about the pressure of being on the US squad as a LIV Golf player. Opening up about Johnson possibly announcing him as a captain’s pick, the golfer said that he’d “just play my best” and see the results.
Speaking ahead of the PGA Championship, Koepka said:
"It would be awesome to represent the United States, and anytime we do it it´s always fun, but I’m not focused on it. It´s not like my first thought when I go play well this week. If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself.
I mean, if you win, go second, first, first, first, it would be kind of tough not to pick, right? I´ll just play my best and see what happened."
Interestingly, US team skipper Johnson was clear about not announcing Koepka as a pick back then. The American was reportedly looking for options elsewhere and avoiding players with LIV Golf association. However, Koepka’s strong performance over the season made him a favorite to get the captain’s pick.