Reinventing Brooks Koepka - Why the Two-Time U.S. Open Champion is About to Get (More) Real?

Did you see Brooks Koepka talk with the media today at The Honda Classic?  Because if you did, you witnessed ground zero of the reinvention of the back-to-back U.S. Open champion.  And quite frankly, it was absolutely genius. 

 

The 28-year old former World No. 1 player has already made his share of headlines early this season.  Last month Koepka indirectly called out Bryson DeChambeau for his "embarrassing" slow play at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. 

Then a few weeks later Koepka roasted Sergio Garcia for "acting like a child" after Garcia's temper tantrums in Saudi Arabia. 

But today's comments might have made the biggest headlines of all, because today Koepka promised we're all going to see even more of the real Brooks going forward.  Wait, what? 

 

Koepka's an incredibly talented golfer who's probably going to keep winning majors before all is said and done.  He has the power to bring any course to its knees, can be an expert marksman with his irons, and has shown the propensity to be a clutch putter when he needs it the most. 

Unfortunately for Koepka however, there's a large population of golf fans who not only don't root for him, but also just can't stand him.  And sadly, most of that damage is Koepka's own doing.  

In the past Koepka said he doesn't watch golf, that it's boring, and that he doesn't even like it.  Today however, Koepka said that he's "no longer holding anything back," and that he has "a lot of opinions on a lot of things."  

 

Now granted, Koepka's statements were a big turn off to golf fans, no one's going to argue otherwise.  But if Koepka considers what he said back then "holding back," let's just open up the popcorn and pull up a chair right now because he's about to throw gasoline all over the fire. 

Koepka also said today that in the past he was "just trying to be "politically correct, and just kind of going on with things and be unnoticed."  (Never mind I can't even say that out loud without shaking my head and laughing).  

But when you type in Brooks Koepka on google, the two top search results are "Brooks Koepka workout," and "Brooks Koepka thong."  

 

Nothing wrong of course with hitting the gym (even if your crushing routine at Planet Fitness includes a little orchestrated posing).  And a good pair of quality thongs are great for skinny jeans and tight trousers, which Koepka seems to enjoy.  But still, probably not the first two search results you want to see when you're a two-time major champion. 

The bottom line is this:  Koepka's image is at an all-time low, and his "I get no respect" routine has worn thin.  I'm sure it's frustrating when you've won three of the last eight majors, and more people want to talk about you posing in a thong with your girlfriend than your place among the all-time greats in major championship history.  But that's the bed Koepka's made. 

Koepka's team tried to make him like one of the guys in the Miller Lite "I like beer" commercial.  We do.  But that didn't make us like him more. 

 

A softer approach was taken in the Rolex "perseverance" commercial, where Koepka says, "my mom once told me you have to be able to give a punch and take a punch, in golf and in life."   Truly great advice, actually.  But even playing the mom card didn't bring Koepka the love or respect he's clearly looking for. 

So now we're about to see a more brazen and probably even more arrogant Brooks Koepka than ever before.  When cocky athletes run their mouths, we either love them or we hate them.  That's what makes Koepka's reinvention today so brilliant.  Because right now most fans either dislike Koepka or don't care about him at all.  And that means Koepka has nothing to lose.