Jon Rahm said Saturday he’s always had a “pretty good relationship” with Brooks Koepka a day after Koepka called him out for acting “like a child.”
The Spanish golf star expressed frustration late in his round Friday at the Ryder Cup, striking a board as he and partner Nicolai Hojgaard headed to the 18th tee. After Rahm drained a 33-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to tie the match with U.S. stars Koepka and Scottie Scheffler, Koepka expressed his own frustration.
“I mean, I want to hit a board and pout just like Jon Rahm did,” Koepka said. “But you know, it is what it is. Act like a child. But we’re adults. We move on.”
Rahm addressed Koepka’s comments Saturday, after he and partner Tyrrell Hatton defeated Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, 2 and 1.
“I’m not going to stand here and say I’m a, you know, perfect example on what to do on a golf course,” Rahm said. “I play and compete the way I think I need to play and compete, and yeah, I think he mentioned it. I’m not happy I left a 10-footer short on 17 to possibly tie the hole, and going up to the tee, I let off some frustration hitting the board sideways.
“I kept walking, never stopped, that was it. If Brooks thinks that’s childish, it is what it is. He’s entitled to think what he thinks, and I mean, I don’t know what else to say.”
Jon Rahm responds to Brooks Koepka's comments that he acted 'like a child'. 💬 pic.twitter.com/vpaWG8q9Na
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 30, 2023
“I’m very comfortable with who I am and what I do,” Rahm added. “I’ve done much worse on a golf course like that. That doesn’t even register to a low level of Jon anger on the golf course.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m very happy with who I am, and I needed to do that at that moment to let off some steam and play the hole I wanted to do. And clearly it worked out, played two great shots and got a little lucky on the putt. I needed to do what I needed to do to perform under those circumstances. Is it right or wrong, childish or not, I don’t know, but that’s what I needed at the moment.”
