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Most of us would be delighted to be among the 20 best golfers on the planet.
However, Brooks Koepka clearly feels differently, describing his fall to 20th in the world rankings “embarrassing”.
The four-time major winner attributed his drop in the standings to the succession of injuries he has suffered in recent years.
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But after opening his defence of the Waste Management Phoenix Open title with a 66, the 31-year-old insisted his ranking will “bounce back up”.
“I mean, that’s embarrassing to be 20th,” he told reporters at TPC Scottsdale.
“A lot of it has to do with injury. I’ve been hurt, on the sidelines, not playing, playing through injury, you can’t compete with guys out here.
“It’s nice to be somewhat healthy and get out here and I mean I’m not too worried about it, it will bounce back up.”
Following his injury troubles, Koepka claimed he now feels “pretty damn healthy” – and hinted at his intention to get to world No.1.
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“You’re never 100%,” he added.
“No athlete’s ever 100%. But like I said, if you’re not healthy, it’s not easy.
“But at the same time there’s nobody out here that’s shooting to be No.2 in the world. So if you are, you shouldn’t be playing. So 19 spots to go.”
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