Brooks Koepka has made a worrying confession regarding his upcoming PGA Championship defense following a disappointing performance at the Masters.
Last May, Koepka clinched his third PGA Championship victory at Oak Hill and is set to return to Valhalla as the reigning champion. He headed to the Masters this April with aims of securing his sixth major win and his inaugural green jacket. However, his week was an underwhelming one, after finishing 20 strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
Koepka told Mirror Sports last month that his preparations for Augusta began as early as December, hoping to prime himself for a breakthrough Masters triumph. Yet, reflecting on his efforts at LIV Singapore, he expressed frustration over 'wasting' those months of preparation.
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When questioned about his confidence in his game and the prospect of defending his title at Valhalla, Koepka responded: "Clearly not very good, with Augusta the way that it went. I kind of felt like I wasted all the time from December until then. Just keep grinding away, keep doing the work, and hopefully something will turn around."
Koepka is currently in Singapore with the LIV setup, has he bids to find some form ahead of his return to the major stage in Kentucky. Recently in a bid to change his fortunes, Koepka has made a change in his bag, switching up the putter, but his frustrations on the greens have continued.
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"[The mallet putter had] been in the bag two weeks before Augusta," he stated. "I haven't even putted with that other putter, the one I've putted with for - the button back that I've putted with for probably 12, 14 years, I haven't putted with it since then. I can't find the hole at all, to be honest with you. Something we've just been putting some work into, so trying to find some answers."
Asked what is the issue behind his putting woes, he added: "[The] ball doesn't go in the hole, that is usually one of them. I don't know how else to simply put it. I feel like I'm hitting good putts, they just keep burning lips. Eventually it starts to wear on you after a while. All you can do is hit a good putt and see where it goes from there. Hopefully they start falling soon."
After winning two LIV events in his first two seasons on the breakaway tour, Koepka has struggled to find his best form so far in 2024. The Smash captain currently sits at 16th in the individual rankings, with his top performance being a tie for fifth place at the season's opening event in Maykoba.