Fit-again Brooks Koepka weighs in on big-hitting Bryson

They have a decidedly complicated history but, when it comes to big-hitting, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau appear to be on very much the same page.

DeChambeau has been singled out for criticism over the past few months for taking ‘bomb and gouge’ golf to the next level with his power-first approach to the game. 

During last week’s BMW PGA Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick described the US Open champion’s strategy as “daft”, adding that he is “just taking the skill out of it”. 

However, as he prepares to return from a two-month injury lay-off at this week’s CJ Cup in Nevada, Koepka stood up for his long-time rival. 

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“He’s using one of his skills to his advantage,” said the four-time major champion. “He’s always had speed, but he’s pushing it to that next level, finding the boundaries of how far he can actually hit it and play with it and he’s done a good job of that. He’s hitting it a mile.”

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DeChambeau, for what it’s worth, appears to be unconcerned by the criticism his new-found distance has attracted. On the contrary, he plans to start hitting the ball even further by putting a 48-inch driver into play at Augusta National next month. 

Koepka added: “If he uses it, there’s a chance he gains even more
yardage. Hey, it’s something he’s found that’s working for him. It’s cool to see just kind of as
like a fan of the game. I don’t see anything wrong with it. Hey, it’s working for him.”

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Be that as it may, Koepka revealed that he had no interest in watching DeChambeau win his first major at last month’s US Open. 

Forced to miss the championship he won in 2017 and 2018 as a result of a persistent knee injury, Koepka said: “I didn’t watch a shot of it. Didn’t see anything.”

Making his first appearance on the PGA Tour this week since the Wyndham Championship in August, Koepka said that he feels “a million times better” after taking time out to allow his injuries to heal properly.

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“I really had no idea how bad I felt through the whole year,” he added. “Obviously, Memorial was kind of its peak of when it was its worst, and then at the PGA it didn’t feel great. 

“I spent basically the last month out in San Diego, so I haven’t been home. I’m just doing rehab every day and just trying to get better.”