Alright, so Brooks Koepka is apparently hanging up the "I'm about to win a major" death stare for a while. He’s decided to trade the pressure cooker of Augusta for the slightly less intense, but arguably more awkward, world of playing golf with his dad. Yep, Brooks is making his debut at the PNC Championship, a tournament where people team up with their family members. Because nothing screams "elite athlete" quite like battling your own kin over 36 holes, right?
He’ll be paired with his father, Bob. This is the same Bob who, back in the day, apparently had the guts to tell young Brooks to finish high school before chasing pro dreams. That’s a bold move, pulling over the car like that. Most dads would just nod and start writing checks. Thankfully for Brooks’s future five major championships and this upcoming family fun-fest, he actually listened.
They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and Bob was apparently a decent golfer himself, reaching scratch without any fancy lessons. He’s also the guy who got Brooks into the sport in the first place. They even had a nice little moment at the 2017 U.S. Open, which, wouldn’t you know it, was Father’s Day. Because the universe has a sense of humor, and it’s usually a cruel one.
Now, they’ll be playing a two-person scramble. This means they’ll both hit, pick the best shot, and repeat. It’s basically a golf game where one player’s bad day can be salvaged by the other, or one player’s good day can be completely ruined by the other. Peak family dynamic, really.
But before all that heartwarming father-son bonding, Koepka has another gig lined up. He’s also signed on for the Farmers Insurance Skins Game. This is where you play against other players for money on each hole. It’s like a regular tournament, but with a much more tangible incentive for not messing up. He’ll be going head-to-head with Justin Thomas and Wyndham Clark. Oh, and apparently there’s some rookie named Jackson Koivun tagging along. The purse is a hefty $4 million. More money, more problems, I guess.
So, it’s a year-end double feature for Koepka: some high-stakes exhibition golf for cash, followed by a heartwarming, likely slightly competitive, family reunion. It’s a nice change of pace from wrestling major trophies, I suppose. We’ll see if Dad can keep up.