Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Koepka and teammate Scottie Scheffler halved their four-ball match against Rahm and Nicolai Højgaard, but frustration has clearly set in.
Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler had an impressive finish at the Ryder Cup. They birdied each of the last five holes in their four-ball match.
Yet, they did not win.
Instead, Jon Rahm made two remarkable eagles on the 16th and 18th holes to steal a victory from the Americans. His chip-in on the par-4 16th produced an enormous roar from the home crowd, and his putt on 18 was otherworldly.
Consequently, Koepka expressed displeasure with the Spaniard’s behavior.
“I want to hit a board and pout just like Jon Rahm did,” Koepka said afterward. “But, you know, it is what it is. Act like a child. But we’re adults. We move on.”
It’s not known whether Koepka is referencing Rahm’s celebrations after his momentum-shifting strokes Friday, or some of his past antics on the golf course. During the U.S. Open this year, Rahm was seen hitting a sign as he fell out of contention.
Of course, Rahm and Koepka played together during the final round of the 2023 Masters. Koepka had control of the tournament over the first three days but stumbled down the stretch. Rahm went on to win his first green jacket.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
These two major champions have not had a feud before, so for Koepka to call Rahm a ‘child’ is quite a surprise.
“We lost with two eagles,” Koepka explained. “So, I mean, we played good coming down. Scottie played really well. It was impressive to watch him play. Nothing you can do.”
Koepka sat out the morning foursomes, a surprising move from Captain Zach Johnson considering his Ryder Cup experience. The gamble did not pay off, as the Europeans decimated the U.S., 4-to-0 in historic fashion.
Hence the importance of Koepka and Scheffler securing a point over Rahm and Nicolai Højgaard in the afternoon. The Americans desperately needed it.
But Rahm, channeling the late, great Seve Ballesteros, rallied to earn a half-point for the Europeans.
So after day one at Marco Simone, the Europeans hold a commanding 6.5-to-1.5 lead over the Americans.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor/Site Manager of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf content, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms.
