Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour has been difficult. The five-time major champion finished his 2026 campaign without a victory and recorded only one top-10 finish in 16 starts.
However, he ended his season on a stronger note at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, tying for sixth after closing with an eagle on the 18th hole at St. Andrews.
Koepka is now preparing for another team competition, with his Motor City Golf Club set to feature in the expanded 2027 TGL season alongside teams led by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
Brooks Koepka Explains Why McIlroy Had No Reason to Talk to DeChambeau
In an interview with Dan Rapaport on ‘Dan on Golf’, Koepka backed McIlroy’s decision to keep his distance from Bryson DeChambeau during the final round of the 2025 Masters.
The Northern Irishman was pursuing his first Green Jacket and the career Grand Slam, leaving little room for distractions.
Asked about the lack of conversation between the playing partners, Koepka made his position clear.
“He shouldn’t have [spoken to DeChambeau],” Koepka said.
He then delivered a blunt assessment of the LIV Golf star, adding: “I mean, he lives in his own world. I mean, I don’t think many people want to talk to him regardless.”
The comments referred to an awkward exchange on the ninth green at Augusta National.
Both golfers had birdie putts, and they disagreed over who should play first.
DeChambeau suggested flipping a tee to settle the decision, but McIlroy instead called for a rules official to measure their putts.
DeChambeau eventually allowed McIlroy to putt first. McIlroy made birdie, while DeChambeau missed and recorded par.
McIlroy later defeated Justin Rose in a playoff to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.
Koepka said he understood why his fellow major champion chose to remain focused.
“I wouldn’t have spoken to Rory, and I don’t think he would have spoken to me and it would have been totally fine,” he told Rapaport.
Koepka also praised McIlroy’s achievements despite their competitive rivalry.
He called him “arguably one of the best players to ever play the game” and said he deserved his success, while making clear that he still wanted to beat him.
The remarks are notable given Koepka and DeChambeau’s history. Their relationship was frosty during their PGA Tour days but improved after both joined LIV Golf in 2022.
Brooks Koepka Discusses PGA Tour Rules Incident and AimPoint
The McIlroy discussion was not the only revealing part of Koepka’s interview.
In a separate conversation covered by Andy Roberts of GolfMagic, the American described seeing an unnamed player appear to improve their lie in the rough during a PGA Tour event this season.
“There’s one I saw this year that was really bad,” Koepka said.
“It was a chip. I saw it. It was really bad. He went for the backswing and you could see the whole ball.”
Koepka did not identify the player and chose not to report the incident.
He said he couldn’t prove what happened and added that the golfer made a double or triple bogey on the next hole.
“I just ate that one because karma came and bit him on the next hole,” he said.
Koepka also criticized AimPoint putting, saying repeated foot movements by players and caddies can wear down the ground around the cup.
“How dried out and firm it is from three feet around the hole, I don’t know if it’s because guys are doing AimPoint more and caddies are in there,” he said.
His account remains an unconfirmed observation, not an official rules ruling. The R&A’s Rule 20 guidance says suspected breaches should be raised promptly with the player, a referee or the committee.
Brooks Koepka Takes Shot at Bryson DeChambeau While Defending Rory McIlroy