Brooks Koepka says he was more nervous attempting to capture his first LIV Golf win than any of his previous five major championship victories.
Cast your mind back to October 2022 and Brooks Koepka was feeling the heat.
He was playing in LIV Golf’s seventh event of their debut season in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.
Turns out, the temperature wasn’t the problem for Koepka. He was simply desperate to get back into the winner’s circle.
He had not tasted victory in any event since the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
A serious knee injury led Koepka to the assumption that perhaps his career was going to come to a premature end.
Sure, he could look back fondly on the four major championship he had already won, plus multiple PGA Tour titles.
But a player of his calibre not ever winning the Masters? Unthinkable to Koepka.
Afterall, this was a man who once claimed he could match Tiger Woods’ haul of 15 major wins.
Koepka ended up winning the LIV event in Jeddah after a playoff victory over Peter Uihlein.
The man stated that he was more nervous during this event than any other event he has participated in.” Koepka explained to GOLF that he chose to participate in the event in Saudi Arabia because it was personally significant to him and he was focused on finishing strong in the tournament.
I had a feeling of being back, even though I didn’t win or perform at my best. I could see myself gradually improving, despite the scores not reflecting it. “That was the most significant thing for me because I was relieved that I could resume doing it once more.” “There were not many spectators present, but the internal pressure I felt outweighed everything else.”
Koepka has won his fifth major since then. He also represented the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2023. In the Netflix documentary Full Swing, Koepka discussed his struggles with injuries.
Before the 2023 Masters, he disclosed the severe nature of his knee injury. Koepka injured himself at home, shortly after participating in the Phoenix Open. He tried to fix his knee by himself.
“He ended up breaking his kneecap as a result.” Koepka informed the press that he underwent surgery three weeks prior to the 2021 Masters. Despite doctors advising against it, he chose to play in the tournament.
He was informed that the expected duration for recovery would be approximately 18 months.
Koepka underwent surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a surgeon of his choice. Koepka expressed his satisfaction with the surgeon’s work, stating, “He did an excellent job.”
The golfer is currently looking very healthy in the third season of LIV.