Dick Groat: How Brooks Koepka’s Great Uncle Laid the Foundation for His Remarkable Success

Published 11/29/2021, 7:50 AM EST

Brooks Koepka might not be world number one or the one with a gazillion records to his name, but you have to agree; he brings something special to the game. He has the ability to execute impeccable and top-notch play when it matters the most. However, did you know there is a man behind it all, from where it all began?

How did Brooks start playing golf?

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Athleticism runs in the Koepka family. And a couple of years ago, Brooks‘ father Bob Koepka gave us all a little insight about how he and his sons got involved in the sport. Richard ‘Dick’ Groat is a former baseball and basketball player, mostly known for his role in Major League Baseball. He is also Bob Koepka’s mom’s younger brother.

Brooks’ father said, “Dick is the reason why, in my opinion, Brooks is playing golf. I got my interest in golf by coming up and visiting and hanging out with Dick’s three daughters – Tracy, Carol Ann and Allison – for three weeks during the summertime. I fell in love with the game of golf at Champion Lakes and now it’s carried over to my two boys.”

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Bob Koepka reveals where Brooks gets his competitiveness from

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Bob gives credit for this trait to his mom and dad, recalling when they used to play cards or ping pong. And during those little games, Bob revealed they would never make winning easy. So, he carried on the same way with his kids, and he’s glad he did.

He said, “I just felt like no one is going to give you anything in this world. You can’t just let your kids win. They have to learn how to win, they have to learn how to go out and take it. That’s one thing I tried to instill in my kids from a young age. I always thought you have to be mentally tough and, fortunately, Brooks has kind of taken that to a whole new level and is just an extremely focused young man.”

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Brooks is still climbing the ladder to success, with his recent exhibition in The Match against Bryson DeChambeau. And now we know his secret! What do you think?

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Ishita Bhargava is a Golf content writer at Essentially Sports. Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, she has a keen interest in sports and fitness. When not playing or watching a sports event, Ishita can be seen spending time with her pets or binge-watching.

Dick Groat: How Brooks Koepka’s Great Uncle Laid the Foundation for His Remarkable Success

How did Brooks start playing golf?

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Bob Koepka reveals where Brooks gets his competitiveness from