If you’ve ever heard of the ‘nappy factor’ in golf then you’ll be backing Brooks Koepka to go well at this week’s LIV Golf League event at The Greenbrier as he tees it up in action just a week after the birth of his first child.
His son Crew arrived six weeks early but Koepka’s wife Jena Sims and the new baby are doing well despite the little one needing monitoring in hospital after such an early arrival.
“That’s all that matters,” Koepka said about the health of his family as he arrived at The Greenbrier on Thursday to hit the range ahead of the tournament on Friday.
The Smash GC captain will celebrate being a new dad by playing alongside Graeme McDowell and Patrick Reed in the first round of the shotgun start tournament.
There’s often a new baby bounce for golfers who play soon after becoming parents, especially for the first time.
The theory is that with now something much more important to focus on, it takes the pressure off performing on the golf course – although Koepka was hardly a figure who looked to struggle with pressure.
With back-to-back weeks of LIV Golf action in the USA, Crew Koepka picked a difficult time to make his appearance, and his dad is already looking forward to getting back home even before teeing off.
“It’s crazy. It’s pretty wild, that’s for sure,” Koepka said about becoming a dad. “It’s definitely different. Love the little guy. Honestly, I can’t wait to get back and see him.”
Of course, Crew could have done his dad a big favour by arriving so early as the Koepkas can get familiar with their new family life well before the Ryder Cup starts in Rome at the end of September.
After collecting his fifth Major by winning the PGA Championship this year, Koepka is now all-but qualified for Zach Johnson’s Team USA.
Dustin Johnson must be a consideration given his last Ryder Cup performance but the likes of fellow LIV players Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are thought to be out of the reckoning.
Talor Gooch has been a popular suggestion after winning three of the nine LIV Golf events so far – and if he can add another in the next two weeks then he might prove impossible for Johnson to ignore.
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