Brooks Koepka wasn't happy with the
mob of fans surrounding Phil Mickelson
at the PGA Championship
Yahoo! Sports,
by
Ryan Young
Original Article
Posted By: earlybird,
5/24/2021 11:18:29 AM
Fans mobbed Phil Mickelson on his final walk up to the 18th green on Sunday at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, but Brooks Koepka wasn’t happy about it. Mickelson won the PGA Championship in South Carolina to claim his sixth major championship title, a feat that made him the oldest to ever win a major. That, naturally, sent golf fans into a frenzy. In the process, however, it seems as if Mickelson’s playing partner got caught up in the mob.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Daisymay 5/24/2021 11:44:32 AM (No. 795337)
I was surprised those in charge of crowd control allowed the crowd to surround Mickelson. To me, it looked a bit unsafe for him to have to fight his way through the crowd. The Ambassadors tried, but they didn't have the numbers to keep the crowd from closing in. Not a good thing! As for Koppka, his complaint seemed to be all about himself and his knee problem. He might have had a point! Crowds closing around anyone, at any sporting event, can cause bad things to happen. But, all was good and Phil earned the glow from the crowds following him! It was fun to watch (from home, in front of the Big Screen with a Burger and Adult Beverage)!
18 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Quigley 5/24/2021 11:50:03 AM (No. 795344)
It’s a good thing there were no Trump supporters in the crowd or the PGA might have been overthrown.
If pelousey had been in charge of security she would have had antifa there to assure an outcome.
15 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
HPmatt 5/24/2021 11:50:16 AM (No. 795346)
Koepka should have not dropped 4 strokes....they would have been swarming him...
22 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Safari Man 5/24/2021 11:55:05 AM (No. 795356)
IMHO opinion golfers should not required security to keep the crowd at bay. What is wrong with these people? Alcohol?
At the Masters when Bubba in a playoff with Loius, some fan slapped him on the back after an amazing shot from the woods. Bubba is much more (outwardly) emotional than Phil and he let it be known he did NOT appreciate that. And who would? The match is still in play, for one thing.
I have heard it said that crowds changed when Tiger came along. Not sure he can be blamed, but there does seem to be a correlation.
11 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
msjena 5/24/2021 12:03:24 PM (No. 795365)
It looked kind of like an insurrection to me.
31 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Vaquero45 5/24/2021 12:07:05 PM (No. 795370)
Koepka needs a personality transplant. Maybe the crowds would like him better.
16 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Jennie C. 5/24/2021 12:43:13 PM (No. 795387)
OP, Koepka is recovering from knee surgery, and his knee got bumped several times in the crowd. He said flat out that if his knee wasn't hurting, it wouldn't have bothered him.
10 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
lakerman1 5/24/2021 12:47:35 PM (No. 795393)
Should have ben a police presence at the PGA, just as there is at other tournaments.
Koepka was not so much angry about the crowd, but was bothered by the bumping. He had knee surgery just two months ago.
The headline is misleading.
8 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Skinnydip 5/24/2021 12:49:57 PM (No. 795394)
Watching it, I thought whatever happened to civil golf fans? And then it dawned on me that society as a whole is far more rude and obnoxious than it used to be. I truly fear what our nation is becoming.
26 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
ByteGuru 5/24/2021 12:53:53 PM (No. 795396)
Agree with #1 - crowd control was abysmal. I also dislike the crowd screaming every time a golfer hit his ball. "In the hole!' seemed to be the most common shout. Whatever happened to quiet appreciating folks that quietly observed and then, when pleased used the 'golf' clap' to show approval.
The PGA better get a grip on crowd control. In this day and time an unruly mob an be dangerous.
21 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Hazymac 5/24/2021 1:20:48 PM (No. 795408)
#7 and #8 are correct. It's amazing that Koepka with his bad knee could have played himself into contention. He's a pretty tough fellow, and certainly didn't want galleryites bumping into him. I don't consider him to be a bad sport.
The scrum around the final group on the final hole is familiar if one remembers various Open Championships, dating back over sixty years. The crowd encircles the last green as the players and caddies make their way through the crowd, emerging to raucous cheers. I rather liked it, especially in this time of Fauci. I hope the malignant gnome puked his dinner out watching all those folks so close together. Again, this golf fan is very proud of Phil. What a player he still is.
19 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Newtsche 5/24/2021 1:22:03 PM (No. 795409)
It shouldn't have happened, I hope it doesn't happen again. I'm thrilled that it did.
The throng as seen from behind and well above the 18th green, looking back down the fairway was the most amazing visual I've seen in golf, maybe in all of sports.
From MAGA crowds to Capitol "insurrections" and cities burning, here was a crowd that thumbed its nose at what America's last year has been. Remember what we saw yesterday, love it and thank the one and only Phil F'n Mickelson, big time history indeed.
11 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
BevNJ 5/24/2021 1:29:41 PM (No. 795411)
Brooks had every right to be upset, IMO. I was pulling for Phil but didn’t like the swarming crowd at 18 one bit. It was actually very scary. Not cool at all.
7 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Mizz Fixxit 5/24/2021 1:41:31 PM (No. 795418)
Poster 11, many times I’ve seen the video of Arnold Palmer engulfed by adoring fans on the finishing hole at the British Open. When he emerged from the crowd, Palmer feigned a limp. The man was revered. I miss him.
11 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
formerNYer 5/24/2021 1:44:52 PM (No. 795421)
I couldn't disagree with OP more. the crowd was a mess - screaming obnoxious and drunk. The PGA need to start throwing these idiots out and banning them from other venues. The golf fan was always know as the most polite of all sports fan. Not anymore. if you watched the Masters you didn't see any of that. They have security and volunteers and will throw you out and then you can forget getting tickets to the Master's ever again. Koepka is liked by his fellow golfers and most fans, he's just coming of major knee surgery and and bad hit by a untruly fan that shouldn't be there in the first place could put his recovery back by weeks. I'm in the process of writing both the PGA and USGA about the unruly crowds. I actually like the tournaments without crowds. I didn't have to hear the stupid "In The Hole!" after ever shot. Time to start throwing these yellers and screamers out.
17 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
SALady 5/24/2021 1:59:49 PM (No. 795435)
If you want to know what the future holds for little snowflake kids who all get participation trophies while playing soccer as kids, this is it!!! Brooks Koepka is their poster child!!!
Suck it up, Brooks!!! Phil not only won, but did it in historic fashion. He deserves every bit of adulation coming from the fans who mobbed him after his win. Instead of whining, practice and work harder. And some day, if you win, you get the adulation. But not yesterday!!!
8 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
EJKrausJr 5/24/2021 2:02:36 PM (No. 795438)
Disagree with poster. Brooks was 100% correct. Both Koepka and Mickelson and their caddies could have been injured by the mob. The crowd should never have been allowed to get that close to the players. Bottom line, the PGA of America blew crowd control on the 18th hole at Kiawah.
10 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 5/24/2021 2:06:50 PM (No. 795441)
If you have ever felt knee pain you would be more sympathetic! Get the drunks and the “in the hole” guy off of majors broadcasts! Golf is a gentleman’s game!
8 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
pinger 5/24/2021 2:09:33 PM (No. 795443)
I have two words. Boo-hoo. Maybe that’s only one. If Koepka was walking to victory I suspect he would not have had a problem with it. That has been a tradition in many European tournaments for 100 years. Rarely has somebody who’s been as successful as he has been on tour seems to be so unhappy. If he were to smile his face would crack.
4 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
SALady 5/24/2021 2:17:35 PM (No. 795454)
I am reading the comments here about how "it could have been terrible" and "it could have been so dangerous".
But is was not!!!! These were genuinely respectful fans who were caught up in this historic moment. Nobody got hurt. Nothing bad came out of it except for Brooks getting his feeling hurt -- which I'm guessing came far more from the way he choked on the last day than anything any of those fans did.
And Phil got the adoration and congratulations he deserved from those fans for what he accomplished. This was the golf equivalent to the fans rushing the field and tearing down the goal post after a massive upset win in college football.
9 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
Enoch Powell 5/24/2021 2:52:12 PM (No. 795482)
Sore loser. And a loser in general. Sorry pal. Where is he from?
4 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
red1066 5/24/2021 2:54:32 PM (No. 795485)
People like Phil because Phil likes people. He interacts with the gallery while playing and generally chats with people when he can while walking to his next shoot. It's what made people like him. Brooks on the other hand, is standoffish. He isolates himself from everything around him including people standing less than five feet away. There are a lot of golfers over the years like that. Jack Nicholas was like that. Tiger Woods is like that. These players are under a lot of pressure to perform, and chatting with the fans doesn't fit in. Go to a Champion's tournament where the players are all over fifty, and it's much more relaxed. Interaction with the fans is more common.
5 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
Imright 5/24/2021 3:01:32 PM (No. 795488)
Thought the crowd was wonderful! Finally able to have FUN!!
Just came across this info....Showing the 'Purse' amounts for the winners....Interesting: https://www.golfchannel.com/news/pga-championship-payout-phil-mickelson-cashes-big-sixth-major-victory
1 person likes this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
YorkieMom 5/24/2021 3:17:36 PM (No. 795508)
We were thrilled to see the “old” guy win. I did wonder about how loud the crowd was, but knew they loved Phil. Now, I can’t wait to hear the media reporting on the number of people who were there and ended up with Covid. CNN will be the first to tell us as Fraud Fauci smiles.
3 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
oldmagnolia 5/24/2021 3:20:01 PM (No. 795511)
My husband is an avid golfer. He volunteers for the PGA, USGA and also organize golf outings fundraising like Birdies for the Brave and Toys for Tots. He is a marshal in lots of tournaments. Over the years the crowds have gotten louder and more out of control. There is no limit how many people attend because, well, you have lots of space. The corporate tents, the food and souvenirs stands are a money making machine. They open early so there is a lot of alcohol all day long. The only tournament that you don't see what you saw yesterday is the Masters because the Masters is run by Augusta.
Yesterday was a disgrace. Where were the marshals? That is their job, crowd control. Where were the hole judges and the tournament organizers? This was the 18th hole. If I would have been Koepka or Mickelson I would have told the judge: we won't continue playing until you control the crowd. People betting money could have harmed one of them.
6 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 5/24/2021 4:46:10 PM (No. 795614)
You don’t see this at The Masters. Several reasons.... the spectators for one thing are simply more polite. Many have held Masters tickets for decades and know what a privilege it is to have a badge. They also know it can be revoked forever if they do something stupid. They spell out the behavior they expect from their patrons in no uncertain terms. You can get there early, place your chair at 18 green and it won’t be bothered or moved. Try that at Bethpage.
That said I think the PGA got blindsided and overwhelmed by the exuberance of the crowd happy to see Phil win. I look for security to be much beefier in the future.
3 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
konocti95 5/24/2021 6:08:22 PM (No. 795661)
I'm glad he finally won one. I remember 25 years ago he was way ahead in some tournament going into the last day and fell apart.
3 people like this.
Agree with #26, this caught everyone off guard, Mickelson was in no way supposed to even contend much less win this tournament. 300 to 1 in Vegas. I haven't heard Koepka complain about any thing but the crowd around 18. After knee surgery I'd complain too. And I'm a lousy golfer.
4 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
NorthernDog 5/24/2021 7:12:14 PM (No. 795713)
Koepka can be prickly and a bit standoffish. But that doesn't mean is wrong about the crowds. With so many weirdos out running around I thought it was a security problem. Anyone remember Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan?
3 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Gruntmedic 5/24/2021 7:37:29 PM (No. 795729)
The guy is 50 years old with medical problems whipped guys much younger,crowd was happy for him.
1 person likes this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
MickTurn 5/24/2021 8:00:22 PM (No. 795757)
Wa Wa Wa...get out of the way then moron!
1 person likes this.
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Comments:
Brooks Koepka is a decidedly ungracious golfer, known for saying unpleasant comments about many things, including other golfers. He was grumpy and sullen long before the walk to the 18th. He should learn to keep his mouth shut. Yesterday was Phil’s day. He owned the gallery. That is what bugged Koepka, along with losing.