“I'd characterize that as a choke”: Brooks Koepka delivers honest assessment of his Masters 2023 defeat

Brooks Koepka was leading the 2023 Masters going into the final round. Holding a steady lead over Jon Rahm for the first two rounds, the victory was almost in Koepka's hands.

However, things took a turn for the worse for the LIV Golf player, as his lead quickly slipped away in the final round. Koepka admitted that he choked at the Masters, giving away a four-shot lead to eventual winner Jon Rahm.

Koepka was having a phenomenal tournament, before finishing with six bogeys in the final round. Speaking about his performance on the "Pardon my Take" broadcast, Koepka said:

"Yeah, I'd characterize that as a choke. It was pretty bad. I mean, come on you've got a four-shot lead, all you've got to do... I was playing good, I just choked it away. But it's alright, I'll figure it out."

There was also a controversy about the slow play at the Masters possibly affecting several golfers' game. Koepka expressed his frustrations over the slow play of the group ahead of his, particulary Patrick Cantlay's. Slow play has been a controversial topic on Tour for decades. Koepka said:

"It was brutal, it was really bad. I think we waited every shot."

Speaking about the "slow play" issue in the PGA Tour, Matt Fitzpatrick commented via CNN:

“The problem is this conversation has gone on for years and years and years, and no one has ever done anything, so I feel it’s almost a waste of time talking about it. I have strong opinions, but no one’s going to do anything about it. It’s like hitting your head against a brick wall. No one ever gets penalized."

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Can Brooks Koepka win the 2023 PGA Championship?

Brooks Koepka (Image via Getty)

This is not the first time Brooks Koepka has been close to a Masters win. In 2019, he finished in second place behind Tiger Woods, after landing a tee shot into the water.

Koepka turned pro in 2012 and has recorded eight wins on the PGA Tour. He won the PGA Championship twice and the U.S. Open twice before moving to the LIV Golf Series in 2022.

Brooks Koepka will be back at the 2023 PGA Championship to play in one of the toughest fields of the year. Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm are the favorites going into the Championship. He will also face competition from Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth, to name a few.