Brooks Koepka’s reputation as an unflappable major championship mercenary has taken a hit in recent weeks — most recently as a result of a fairly shocking exchange in which he can be seen ripping a phone away from a fan who had been recording him from close range.
In the short clip, which was obtained by TMZ Sports, you can hear Koepka tell the fan “get it out of my face, man!” as he rides in a cart alongside fiancee Jena Sims after knocking off top-seeded Jon Rahm in the Round of 16.
According to the TMZ report, Koepka held onto the phone for a moment before one of his handlers intervened and returned it to its owner, who did not wish to press charges.
The fan had clearly violated Koepka’s personal space. But during the same event, another video surfaced of the four-time major winner losing his cool with fans. In that footage — which also popped up on TMZ — Koepka shuts down a group of autograph seekers with some unsavory language as he walks to the practice range.
“I don’t come to your job asking for your s—, do I? I don’t think so,” Koepka said.
Fair or unfair, Koepka faces a little more scrutiny when it comes to gallery interactions. As you’ll recall, it was his “Brooksy” comments that incited the backlash against rival Bryson DeChambeau late in the 2021 season.
Koepka, cool and confident, likes to portray himself as the antithesis to the easily unnerved DeChambeau. But these videos reveal a different side.
