Tensions ran high for Brooks Koepka in his illness-shortened round at Maridoe Golf Club on Friday.
The five-time major winner started on a high note, posting a birdie on his opening hole (No. 2) during the first round of LIV Golf Dallas. But things went decidedly downhill from there, as Koepka triple-bogeyed both the par-4 4th and the par-5 7th. Then, Koepka hit his tee shot on the par-4 9th, and by the looks of it, he was not happy with the outcome.
While it appears as though the tee marker flew perilously close to the fans lining the tee box, no injuries have been reported. The 9th hole was apparently the last straw for Koepka. After posting a bogey, he withdrew, citing illness. Reserve player Luis Carrera stepped in to replace Koepka for remainder of Round 1.
Carrera played the remaining holes in three over par. Combined, Koepka and Carrera posted an opening round of nine over par. Carrera and Koepka’s combined score will count only for the team total, and while Koepka is out for the individual portion of the tournament, he is still eligible to return to competition for the team portion.
Koepka’s tee smashing makes him the the latest top player to be caught physically venting his frustrations in recent months. At the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy made headlines when he, too, smashed a tee marker — and also threw a club. Wyndham Clark had to apologize after damaging Oakmont’s historic lockers. Adam Hadwin unleashed on a sprinkler at the Valspar Championship, and Tyrrell Hatton went after a tee marker in Dubai.
For the most part, the pros seem largely unbothered by any backlash to their on-course meltdowns.
“If that’s the worst thing I do as a human, then, I mean, it’s not that bad,” Hatton said.
