Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka have had their differences in the past (Image: Getty)
Phil Mickelson and have a complex relationship marked by their time on the and with . Despite previous clashes, a bond between the two is evident, which was highlighted following Fred Couples’ bombshell claim that Koepka, a five-time major winner, is eyeing a return to the PGA Tour.
The assertion came after Koepka’s veiled criticism of former LIV CEO Greg Norman. On Seattle’s KJR 93.3 FM, 65-year-old Couples, a past Masters winner himself, stated: “I love Brooks Koepka, and I’m not going to say anything extra except I talk to him all the time… he wants to come back. I will say that I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour.”
This comment infuriated Mickelson, who blasted Couples as a “jerk” in a swiftly removed post: “If it’s not true, he damaged a relationship, which he cares about. If it is true, he took away Brooks’ control of the timeline and narrative. Either way, this is a low-class jerk move by Fred.”
Koepka’s ‘greedy’ slam
Before securing his spot in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, Mickelson openly expressed his desire to join the new league, fiercely criticising the PGA Tour for its grip on players’ media rights. In an interview with , he lamented: “They have access to my shots, access I do not have,” voicing his discontent with the traditional tour’s policies, reports .
“They also charge companies to use shots I have hit. And when I did ‘The Match’ – there have been five of them – the Tour forced me to pay them $1 million each time. For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious.” Koepka certainly wasn’t a fan of Mickelson’s remarks and essentially branded the golf legend “greedy” in a response to the quotes on : “I don’t know if I’d be using the word greedy if I’m Phil.”
He then reaffirmed his position to : “I said what I said, I don’t need to say anything more. You take it how you want. I know what I meant by it, but it’s up to you.” Despite their clashing opinions, Koepka would eventually join Mickelson in LIV, acknowledging he inked a nine-figure deal with the league upon leaving the PGA Tour.
The pair are among LIV’s biggest stars (Image: Getty)
Comparison to Tiger Woods
Mind games haven’t overshadowed all interactions between Mickelson and Koepka; after his triumph at Kiawah Island in 2021, the former world No. 2 had some kind words for Koepka. Recognising his ability to absorb trash talk and translate it into stellar performances on the course, Mickelson chose a different tactic during their showdown in South Carolina.
“Brooks has this incredible ability to take energy, positive or negative, and to take the best out of it,” Mickelson said. “When we were paired together in May, I knew that I didn’t want to antagonize him or upset him in any way because it was just gonna bring the best out in him. So I went into that day thinking, ‘All right, I’m not going to talk a lot to him because I don’t want to think I’m trying to get in his head.'”
He drew comparisons between Koepka’s energy use and Tiger Woods’, detailing his strategy for interaction during play: “And all I did was say the nicest of things like, ‘Oh, great shot!’ or ‘Oh, what a great birdie!’ or ‘Awesome up-and-down!’ or whatever.
“Because I didn’t want to give him anything to feed off of because he just knows how to turn animosity or any type of energy from the crowd. Like with Tiger, when he was making that run at him at the PGA at Bellerive, he was able to harness that energy and bring out the best in himself and I just didn’t want to give him anything to feed off of.”
Mickelson likened Koepka’s ability to turn negative energy into positive to Tiger Woods (Image: Getty)
Rivalry showdown
The competitive edge between Mickelson and Koepka flared again as they joined the fray in LIV Golf’s season climax at Trump National Club that October. With Koepka helming Smash GC as captain, he was in the enviable position of choosing his rival squad from among those without an initial round break, thanks to his team’s top seeding in the closing chapter of LIV’s inaugural series.
With a staggering £42million ($55m) prize pot on the line, HyFlyers GC captain Mickelson threw down the gauntlet to Koepka, suggesting he could pick his own team for a “rematch of the 2021 PGA” where Mickelson triumphed over the Floridian to secure his sixth major title. The 34-year-old Koepka didn’t hold back, retorting: “If you want to play, we can play but I don’t know if you know this cause you’ve never been number one in the world, but if you finish at the end of the year they give you a little trophy so I got two of those, I’ll bring one to show you.”
PGA Tour’s apology
During their intense battle at the PGA Championship, fans swarmed Mickelson and Koepka after Mickelson’s stunning approach to the 18th hole, leading to an apology from the then-CEO of the PGA of America. He expressed regret that the crowd’s excitement and pent-up emotion momentarily overwhelmed security, leaving the players and their caddies feeling exposed.
Mickelson took a positive stance on the experience, finding it “slightly unnerving, but exceptionally awesome”, whereas Koepka was visibly irked by his ordeal in the final. The five-time major winner, who had knee surgery just months prior to the tournament, expressed his frustration: “It would have been cool if I didn’t have a knee injury and got dinged a few times in the knee in that crowd because no one really gave a s***.”