Rory my rival? He hasn’t won Major in 5 years
GOLF BROOKS LASHES OUT Koepka shrugs off claim
BROOKS KOEPKA aimed a swipe at Rory McIlroy’s attempts to fuel a rivalry between them and said: “He hasn’t won a Major for five years.”
World No.1 Koepka was dismissive of the Northern Irishman’s claim their duel for the crown as best golfer on the planet was rooted in fierce competition.
McIlroy stoked the fires by revealing he resorted to a grudge mentality to help him clinch the FedEx Cup at East Lake in August.
After being voted PGA Tour player of the year, McIlroy said: “He (Koepka) talked about trying to be the dominant player.
“I thought, ‘He’s going to have to go through me first.’ If that’s both our mentalities going forward, it’s good for the game.”
But Koepka, who has won four Majors since 2017, was having none of McIlroy’s mind games as he prepared to defend the CJ Cup in South Korea.
And the American certainly doesn’t regard the world No.2 as a deadly rival in the same vein as Ali and Frazier in boxing, the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball or Senna and Prost on the Formula One track.
Koepka said: “I’ve been out here for what, five years – and Rory hasn’t won a Major since I’ve been on the PGA Tour, so I just don’t view it as a rivalry.
“I’m not looking at anybody behind me. I’m No.1 in the world, I’ve got an open road in front of me and I’m not looking in the rear-view mirror.
“You know, if the fans do call it a rivalry, that’s on them – and it could be fun.
“I love Rory, he’s a great player and fun to watch but it’s hard to believe there’s a rivalry. I just don’t see it.”
McIlroy’s last Major win was the USPGA in 2014, when Koepka was still fighting to earn his PGA card. But he’s only the second player, after Tiger Woods, to win the FedEx Cup more than once.