What separates junior golfers who thrive from those who burn out before turning pro? The answer might surprise you. It’s not endless hours on the range or expensive coaching. It’s freedom. We know this, thanks to Brooksie.

Brooks Koepka just dropped a parenting masterclass on Smash GC’s Instagram. The five-time major champion revealed the simple philosophy his parents followed. They let him be himself. No over-coaching. No pressure. Just pure athletic development.

The LIV Golf star opened up in his “Brooks’ Backswing” feature about his childhood. He and his younger brother Chase played everything. Baseball, basketball, soccer—it didn’t matter. They just wanted to compete.

“We just wanted to be outside, we just wanted to play sports,” Brooks explained in the video released in March 2025. “That’s the only way to get a kid interested.” “I see it now with a lot of parents, it’s just over-coached,” the 2023 PGA Championship winner noted.

Their dad Bob made golf fun instead of technical. Everything was teed up when Brooks was young. Why? Because watching him crush it far kept him interested. Clearly, this approach worked brilliantly. Brooks turned that childhood excitement into nine PGA Tour wins and approximately $94 million in career earnings. Let us not forget his 5 major championships.

The Koepka household ran on competition. Brooks and Chase constantly tried to beat each other and their dad. However, Bob never gave them easy wins. He believed kids need to learn how to compete and take victories. Bob’s philosophy centered on one principle. Let kids be athletes first, golfers second.

“If you let them be the athlete first and then be the golfer second, I think it’s a lot easier,” Brooks explained. Overcoaching can kill the feel for the game. It makes everything too specific and technical. Brooks credits his parents for understanding this. “My parents, I think they did it their way, which worked for me, especially just letting me be me when I was young.”

This wisdom proves especially relevant today. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13. Nearly one in ten youth athletes experiences burnout. The Koepka brothers never faced this problem because their parents never forced them to practice. They wanted to go.

Brooks Koepka and Chase Koepka: From backyard battles to professional golf

The results speak volumes. Brooks joined LIV Golf in June 2022 for an estimated $100-130 million signing bonus. He’s dominated the circuit with five individual victories and two team championships with Smash GC. His major championship collection includes back-to-back U.S. Opens (2017, 2018) and back-to-back PGA Championships (2018, 2019, 2023).

Chase’s journey took a different path. He turned pro in June 2016 after graduating from the University of South Florida. The younger Koepka brother joined Brooks on Smash GC from 2022 to 2023. However, he struggled significantly and finished 48th out of 50 players in 2023.

Chase battled through a 15-month injury hiatus following shoulder surgery in May 2024. He returned to competition in January 2025 on the Asian Tour. The brothers’ competitive nature never faded. They competed in everything from golf to tossing cans of Coke, Chase discussed while reflecting on their upbringing. Brooks has been instrumental in helping Chase navigate these career challenges.

The family bond extends beyond competition. “We don’t just hang out when we’re on the road here, we hang out when we’re back home as well,” Brooks shared. This closeness stems from their upbringing in West Palm Beach, Florida, at Okeeheelee Golf Course.

Their great-uncle Dick Groat was a former MLB MVP and two-time World Series champion. Athletic excellence runs in the family. Yet Bob Koepka’s simple approach made the difference. He allowed his sons to discover their passions naturally. The results? Two professional golfers who still love the game.