x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Brooks Koepka describing his knee injury and intense recovery is not for the faint-hearted
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf
News

Brooks Koepka describing his knee injury and intense recovery is not for the faint-hearted

By: Nick Dimengo
April 7, 2023
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Following his first round at the Masters, Brooks Koepka described how frightening his knee injury was, and how intense the recovery has been

Brooks Koepka described how frightening his knee injury was, and how intense the recovery has been.

Getty Images

In a text exchange with a friend of mine before the Masters began, I explained why I was “rolling with Brooks Koepka” to win this week. While my friend didn’t disagree — actually telling me he thought Koepka would be a popular choice following his recent LIV Tour win in Orlando — he also uttered some words that often get associated with Koepka; some hate.

“Koepka winning would be such an awful golf story,” my friend replied.

Thus has been the public perception of Brooks Koepka following his exile from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in 2022, where, like many of his peers, he took the big paycheck without much hesitation.

But there might have been more than meets the eye with Koepka’s decision to max out his earning power.

News
brooks koepka hits a shot on thursday at the masters
Look out, world: A healthy Brooks Koepka is co-leading the Masters
By: Josh Berhow

The 32-year-old showed his vulnerability during Netflix’s “Full Swing” series — where he questioned his own ability against some of his peers — but he wasn’t showing how much physical pain he was in following a gruesome knee injury he sustained in the spring of 2021.

Whether the criticism is warranted or not, with many casting Koepka as a villain in the golf world, he’s overcome it for the first two rounds of this year’s Masters. As of press time, he’s still leading at Augusta — and is just two solid rounds away from capturing his fifth major championship.

When you consider his self-doubt, the lost confidence and the injuries over the years, it’s impressive to see Koepka’s Masters display thus far. But when you really understand just how frightening his knee injury was in 2021, maybe people will begin to change their narrative about him — because he’s still working his way back.

Brooks Koepka details gruesome knee injury

Following his first round at the Masters, Koepka didn’t hold back when describing how serious (and frightening) his knee injury really was.

“I just slipped. I was at home. I dislocated my knee and then I tried to put it back in and that’s when I shattered my kneecap and during the process tore my MPFL (medial patellofemoral ligament),” he said. “My leg was sideways and out. My foot was turned out, and when I snapped it back in, because the kneecap had already shattered, it went in pretty good. It went in a lot easier!”

Koepka eventually got knee surgery — from a world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who had previously operated on other star athletes like Tom Brady and the late Kobe Bryant.

But even after getting the knee cleaned up, Koepka admitted his body wasn’t the same — which led him to bad habits and frustration after feeling so limited.

“If your body won’t allow you to do the things you want to do, it’s frustrating and all of a sudden you create a lot of bad habits and then try to work out of the unhealthiness, takes a while, and then all of a sudden you have to get out of those bad habits.”

Like all major injuries, Koepka’s rehab was intense. Even today, he’s still required to go through a rigorous pre- and post-round routine to get it loose and allow him to feel comfortable on the golf course.

“Work with Marc [Wahl, his physical therapist] before. Work with Marc after. Work with Andrew [Cummings, a sports performance therapist] in the gym in the morning. And then we get done, we get to — I forget what it’s called — anyway, it’s a cold thing that goes over my knee. I sit on it for 30 minutes, and I do that about two or three times a night to make sure the swelling is down.

“If it swells up, it’s tough to move because there’s still quite a bit of some fluid in there. We’ve been able to flush out a lot of it, but there’s still some in it.”

News
brooks koepka
Masters issues awkward ruling after Brooks Koepka caddie video
By: Sean Zak

Finally, Koepka showed more of that vulnerability we saw in “Full Swing”, discussing the intensity and pain during his rehab — which pushed him to tears just to gut out playing at the Masters in 2021.

“Honestly, I just think of all those hard times. I think of the lady, Heather, that was doing my rehab; just to play Augusta in ’21. Ricky [Elliott, his caddie] was with me, I just remember biting down on a towel and tears were coming out of my eyes and she was trying to bend the knee. I figure if I can go through that, I can go through anything.”

So while there are plenty of haters who throw criticism Koepka’s way — whether deservingly or not — it’s hard not to appreciate all that he’s doing at the Masters right now. He may not become a fan favorite and get showered with love like we’ve seen from other players at Augusta in the past. But after hearing all that he’s been through, and seeing that he continues to push himself through the pain to perform at the highest level, here’s to hoping golf fans appreciate his heart, determination and desire.

In the end, if Koepka is to win the Masters after all of that, maybe it would actually be an awesome story for golf.

Latest In News

2 hours ago

Scottie Scheffler's 10 sweetest moments following his PGA win | Rogers Report

2 hours ago

Scottie Scheffler, hot drivers and 1990’s R&B: 50 thoughts on the PGA

2 hours ago

Surprise PGA winners, Scottie's hilarious tweak, Rory's silence | Monday Finish

4 hours ago

Major champion apologizes for 'inappropriate' outburst at PGA Championship

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor

Related Articles

Food
rory mcilroy after masters win, and 1990 chateau lafite rothshild wine

The fabled wine Rory McIlroy uncorked to celebrate his Masters win

By: Alan Bastable
News
Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka calls for fan to confront him after being heckled at PGA

By: Nick Piastowski
Gear
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott hold their green Trackmans.

Rory McIlroy just got golf's most exclusive launch monitor. Here's the backstory

By: Jack Hirsh
News
Brooks Koepka looks on during the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship

At PGA Championship, a major killer tries to find his former self

By: Josh Schrock
News
rory mcilroy marking his ball on the green

Rory McIlroy’s handmade ball markers have fascinating backstory

By: Alan Bastable
News
Rory McIlroy walks up to the Masters trophy after winning the 2025 Masters

Why 1 unseen part of Rory McIlroy's Masters celebration spoke to me

By: Josh Schrock
News
Kyle Lowry, NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers, plays during the Pro-AM, prior to the Truist Championship

What's next for Rory McIlroy? This golf-crazed NBA champion has thoughts

By: Josh Schrock
News
Rory McIlroy

Why Rory McIlroy felt 'the worst' at this year’s Masters ... after a birdie

By: Nick Piastowski
News
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks on during the Pro Am event prior to the Truist Championship 2025

Was Rory McIlroy *destined* to win the Masters? Here’s how he sees it

By: Michael Bamberger
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version