Watch: When 2023 PGA Champion Brooks Koepka rode an autorickshaw in India
With his fifth major title win, he became only the 20th male player to get the honour.
Brooks Koepka has become the first LIV golfer to win a major as he triumphed in the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York on Sunday.
With his fifth major title win, he became only the 20th male player to get the honour. Koepka joined the elusive list which also includes legends such as Byron Nelson and Peter Thomson.
After his memorable title win, Koepka said: “This is probably the sweetest one of them all because of all the hard work that went into this one. This one is definitely special.”
Notably, Koepka's career has been marred by injury but he has come out great despite the struggles. In August 2019, he tore the patella tendon in his left knee and had to undergo stem cell treatment. In 2020, he sustained a labrum injury in his left hip. In March 2021, he dislocated his right knee cap and tore his patella tendon and Koepka felt that his golf career might be over.
Talking about Koepka as an inspiration, Joy Chakravarty, former media manager of the Indian PGA tour, writes: "Let’s just say Koepka is an inspiration. A man who teaches us how to get things done despite the mightiest of hurdles. He did not get into the heralded University of Florida and the Gators college team, so he did his things at Florida State University. He was not getting into the PGA Tour, so he decided to start his professional career by traveling all the way to Ahmedabad and start from the very bottom at the Challenge Tour. People said he was finished after winning four majors in two years because of his injuries, so he gets back to finish second in the Masters this year, and won his third PGA Championship and fifth major."
Koepka's Time In India
Interestingly, Koepka had travelled to India during his Challenge Tour days. Koepka explored the local markets, bought handicrafts and clothes while bargaining with the sellers like a pro. In India, he even rode an autorickshaw and survived what we labelled as "crazy traffic".