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‘Always Been Friends’: Days Ahead of 2023 Open Championship, Brooks Koepka Becomes Honest About Rory McIlroy

Published 07/18/2023, 1:17 PM EDT

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Last year’s LIV Golf formation took a toll on the golfing world. And this Saudi-backed league had Rory McIlroy as its biggest critic, who was always vocal about his notions. This creation of a new league last year also created a rift between players and divided them. But seeing McIlroy equally enjoying Brooks Koepka’s win at the PGA Championship this year, seems that the beef between LIV Golf and PGA Tour is possibly over.

Now, ahead of the Open Championship, Brooks Koepka made a statement about his friendship with Rory McIlroy which shook the golfing world.

Brooks Koepka’s stand on his friendship with McIlroy

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After the win of Koepka at the PGA Championship and adding the fifth major to his name, even McIlroy couldn’t help himself and hugged Koepka publicly, and this instance brought a huge uproar in the golf world since Rory was remembered as a LIV critic. Now with PGA Championship over, the last major of the year is approaching and players are frequently attending press conferences. 

USA Today via Reuters

Thus, in one such press conference, Koepka was asked about his friendship with this Irish golfer and if these Manchester United buddies will watch the game together this year, “ Would it be kind of the ultimate sign of friendship, would you be brave enough to ask for Rory’s tickets for Manchester United again with everything that’s gone on? ”

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READ MORE: After Their Amicable Embrace, Golf World Fuels Speculations About Rory McIlroy’s Future Following Viral Brooks Koepka Moment

To this, he answered, I’ve hung out with Rory…the last six, eight months. We still practice together. We’ve had multiple conversations. We’ve talked about a bunch of different things, life just off the golf course, and he’s told me some stuff that’s gone on with him that I really appreciate he’s opened up. So I don’t see why he wouldn’t. Like I said, we’ve always been friends.Koepka’s answer clearly reflects that whatever controversy the media had ongoing has nothing to do with his bond with McIlroy and they are still connected as they were.

A social media post describes it all 

Recently on Instagram, a picture went viral of Rory McIlroy hugging Brooks Koepka after the PGA Championship. People had mixed reactions, some said that it was a big gesture and some claimed it to be a way to ask for a favor from the PGA champion. 

 

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View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

But most likely it is to be believed that the two legendary players are still friends and on the same page. And perhaps all the controversy related to the beef was a way of media publicity. 

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What do you think of Koepka’s friendship with McIlroy? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Suchita Chakraborty

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One take at a time

Suchita is a golf writer for EssentiallySports who was chosen in the recent ‘ES Draft’ round for her in-depth coverage and knowledge of the sport. Even as a budding writer, she has captivated readers through her ability to bring the sport to life through her articles, especially when it comes to golf's latest hot topic, the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Suchita draws her inspiration from one of the legends in women’s golf, Annika Sorrenstam.
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Edited by:

Sherjeel Malik

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