AUGUSTA, Ga. – The reconstruction of Brooks Koepka was nearly complete.
His body healed, his swing honed, only one area was lacking. So Pete Cowen jotted down a list of critiques and prepared to rip into his prized pupil.
This wouldn’t be the coach’s first time, of course. Prior to the 2017 U.S. Open, Cowen had famously laid into the mopey masher after growing tired of Koepka’s grousing that he hadn’t won more on the big stage. “You need the attitude of a champion,” scolded Cowen, and Koepka responded by matching the lowest 72-hole score in tournament history en route to his breakthrough major.