Brooks Koepka carded an opening round of 68 at the U.S. Open to sit two shots off the lead, with the LIV Golf star revealing that he was scolded by coach Pete Cowen

Andrew Gamble Sports Trends Writer

22:07 ET, 12 Jun 2025

koepkaBrooks Koepka received a harsh reprimand from coach Pete Cowen before the U.S. Open, prompting Justin Thomas to check on him(Image: Getty Images)

Brooks Koepka endured a tough-love session with coach Pete Cowen right before the U.S. Open, prompting Justin Thomas to check in on him.

On Thursday, Koepka carded an impressive opening round of 68, placing him at two-under and just a couple of strokes behind the leader J. J. Spaun. The LIV Golf standout, whose deal with the Saudi-backed league is nearing its end, is vying for his first major win since the 2023 PGA Championship.

Despite his strong start at the daunting Oakmont course, Koepka has had a rough go in this year’s majors. He finished five-over at Augusta National, missing the cut — a third-time occurrence for him at the Masters.

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Koepka then experienced another career first, missing cuts in consecutive majors, as he faltered at Quail Hollow with a nine-over performance that saw him exit early.

Yet, Koepka seems to have found his stride at Oakmont, which Dustin Johnson has claimed is tougher than ever. An eagle on the par-5 fourth helped him reach two-under halfway through, but bogeys on the 10th and 14th holes set him back.

Still, consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th allowed Koepka to finish the day well-positioned in the U.S. Open. He credits his turnaround to the hard work and candid feedback from his coach Cowen, who’s considered among the best in the sport.

“It’s nice to put a good round together,” Koepka shared with journalists. “It’s been a while. I’ve been working hard, just got into some bad habits and bad swing positions.

koepkaKoepka is emerging as one of the 2025 U.S. Open contenders after the first round(Image: Getty Images)

“We worked pretty hard last week, Pete Cowen and Jeff Pierce were on me pretty good, and Pete got into me again on Monday, in the bunker for about 45 minutes. I just sat there, and he scolded me pretty well.

“It’s just a matter of executing the feels versus perception for where I’ve been, I think. It’s been so far off, it’s on opposite sides, but now it’s starting to click. Unfortunately, we’re about halfway through the season, so that’s not ideal, but we’re learning.”

Koepka shared that Cowen’s reprimand was so harsh that Justin Thomas felt compelled to check if his competitor was alright. When asked about the intensity of the rebuke, the five-time major winner said: “I’ll put it this way: JT thought he had to come check on me in the bunker.

“We were in there for about 45 minutes, and he was on the other side of the green. I saw him Monday night. We were at a Rolex function. He was like, ‘I was worried; your head was down.’

“Pete, I’ll keep that between us. I wasn’t happy with it, but it was something I think you need to hear or I needed to hear at the right time. It’s not the first time he’s done it. He’s not afraid to.”

Koepka is set to start his second round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont, playing alongside Min Woo Lee and Thomas on Friday, June 13.

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