RYDER CUP ABOUT-TURN BY KOEPKA
US star insists: I’m good to go
F“I’m feeling
good, I’ll be ready to play”
OUR-TIMES Major winner Brooks Koepka confirmed his participation in next week’s Ryder Cup, after his commitment to the competition was called into question.
In an interview with Golf Digest this week, Koepka described the biennial team event between the United States and Europe as ‘a bit odd’ and mentally challenging, saying that he might not be cut out for team sports.
The 31-year-old’s comments were criticised by former United States captain Paul Azinger, who suggested Koepka withdraw from the event if he does not want to be there.
However, Koepka said he will be ready to tee it up at Whistling Straits next week and has been in touch with U.S. captain Steve Stricker as he resumed practising.
‘I’ll be there. I’m good to go,’ he told Golfweek. ‘I’m feeling good. Been doing my rehab, doing everything I need to do to be ready for the Cup. I’ll be there ready to play.’
Koepka is continuing recovery from a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship earlier this month but initially feared he had aggravated an injury from three years ago.
‘I couldn’t continue because I had no grip strength in my left hand,’ he added. ‘When I hit the root I thought it was a stinger and my wrist was feeling weird. I lost feeling to my elbow for a bit.
‘The MRI showed us some stuff and just making sure it’s calmed down and got everything worked out. Grip pressure has gotten back to normal. Some ice, some rest, some soft tissue work and some rehab and we’re good to go.’
The Ryder Cup, postponed last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be played from September 24-26 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. Europe are defending champions after a seven-point rout at Le Golf National near Paris in 2018.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Niall Kearney carded a flawless 65 to set the pace on day one of the Dutch Open at Bernardus Golf.
Kearney covered his first 10 holes in four under par and then birdied three of his last four to finish seven under, a shot ahead of Denmark’s Martin Simonsen
and Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer.
Ryder Cup vice-captain Graeme McDowell returnied a 71 and twotime winner and home favourite Joost Luiten shot level par.
Kearney was ranked 1,592nd in the world at this time last year, but has climbed inside the top 500 thanks to top-10 finishes in the Canary Islands Championship and Hero Open.
‘This year has been positive for me,’ the 33-year-old said. ‘I have had a lot of good finishes and put myself in the right spaces and I have grown in confidence from it. I am starting to feel a bit more comfortable, which is great.”
Bernardus Golf only opened in 2018 and is hosting a European Tour event for the first time, although Kearney still managed to glean some local knowledge before play got under way.
‘The course superintendent is an Irish guy and he grew up not far from me at home, so I had a good chat with him the other morning,” Kearney added.