Koepka Simplifies Golf’s Hardest Test

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA | On a shuttle bus wandering through the forest surrounding Pebble Beach Golf Links, the driver was running through the various potential winners of this U.S. Open, ticking off the familiar seven or eight names – Woods, Johnson, McIlroy, etc.

He never mentioned Brooks Koepka.

Neither did a commercial Fox Sports did promoting its coverage of this U.S. Open, where Koepka is the two-time defending champion and trying to become only the second player ever to win three consecutive U.S. Opens, joining Willie Anderson from more than a century ago.

Koepka heard about the Fox commercial via social media (where else these days?) and, well, there it was. Or, there he wasn’t.

“I just clicked on the link and saw it and watched it. Just kind of shocked. They’ve had over a year to kind of put it out. So I don’t know. Somebody probably got fired over it or should,” Koepka said, a hint of a smile showing through.

Surely the world appreciates what Koepka is in the midst of doing, having won four major championshi...