Brooks Koepka makes Rory McIlroy admission people will “hate” amid LIV Golf claims

Brooks Koepka has opened up on how he enjoys going to toe-to-toe with fellow star Rory McIlroy, with the pair the two of the most succesful major champions of their generation

Brooks Koepka has revealed if he could only play golf with one fellow professional for the rest of his career he would opt for PGA Tour rival Rory McIlroy.

Koepka and McIlroy have prevailed as modern greats of professional golf in recent years, and have nine major titles between them, with the former edging it with five to his name. The pair have taken each other on on many occasions, and it appears going toe-to-toe with the Northern Irishman is Koepka’s favourite battle of all.

“Most people will probably hate this answer, but Rory right?” Koepka told Golf.com after being asked who he would pick to play with for the rest of his life.

Opening up on the healthy rivalry between himself and McIlroy, the five-time major winner added: “There is a competition, maybe he’s not that way or not, but I’ve one more [major championship] than him and then he is going to get to five soon and it is like a one up thing.

“We are the same age, or I think he is a year older but where we are in the game, for me I want to try a little because I think he is arguably one of the best players ever so it is just trying to one up. For me that is how it is anyway. I know if I show up at a major I want to make sure I can get a big enough lead before he starts closing the gap.”

Their rivalry has become more relevant away from the course rather than on it in the past two years, after Koepka and McIlroy found themselves on opposite sides of golf’s civil war. The American star became one of the big names to join the LIV Golf setup, whilst the Northern Irishman pledged his loyalties to the PGA Tour.