McIlroy’s Participant of the 12 months win goes to make Koepka mad — and it ought to

Inspiration is available in many shapes and varieties, and within the case of Brooks Koepka, from some uncommon locations, the chip on his shoulder rising ever bigger as slights each actual and perceived fueled his rise to the highest of golf.

4 main championships in a two-year span, a top-four displaying in every of the largest tournaments in 2019 and a robust maintain on the No. 1 rating are the simply rewards together with any accolades he receives now.

The truth that he missed out on a really apparent one on Tuesday will solely add to that fireplace.

For all the varied affronts Koepka has endured, whether or not it’s by way of the media, or followers, or advertising executives, none may very well be extra motivating than the dissing he took from his friends Tuesday.

In what would clearly be termed a shock, Rory McIlroy gained PGA Tour participant of the 12 months honors for the 2018-19 season, capturing the glory in a vote of gamers for the third time.

Koepka, who took the glory final 12 months when he gained two main championships, didn’t win regardless of profitable the PGA Championship and ending within the high 4 in all 4 majors, together with two runner-up finishes.

“Considerably stunned, however very honored that my fellow gamers thought sufficient of my 12 months to award me this honor once more,” mentioned McIlroy, who after profitable the FedEx Cup at East Lake final month mentioned he felt his efforts wouldn’t stand as much as these put forth by Koepka.

To make sure, McIlroy, 30, had an distinctive 12 months, one that’s worthy of consideration. He gained the Gamers Championship. He gained the Canadian Open. And he gained the Tour Championship for his second FedEx Cup title.

Three victories, together with the bottom stroke common on the PGA Tour this 12 months and a powerful strokes gained per spherical statistic that is likely one of the greatest for the reason that tour started monitoring the statistic in 2004, surpassed solely three different occasions, every by Tiger Woods.

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Then there’s Koepka: He gained the CJ Cup in Korea final fall. He gained the PGA Championship at Bethpage. And he gained the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Traditional. He was high 4 in all majors, a feat completed simply six different occasions by 4 gamers.

So are the gamers suggesting that McIlroy’s physique of labor over a whole season surpasses that of Koepka, who did most of his injury within the majors?

McIlroy, nonetheless making an attempt to know the concept that he had gained, appeared as if he was making an attempt to promote himself on the concept when he mentioned throughout a convention name Tuesday, “I feel this speaks volumes of what PGA Tour gamers really feel is necessary and I’ve harped about this a bit of bit over the course of the 12 months.

“I feel gamers do not simply really feel that 4 weeks a 12 months is necessary, it is greater than that. We play much more. Why will we play 25 occasions a 12 months if solely 4 weeks are necessary?”

Truthful sufficient. Besides if it is shut, the foremost winners virtually at all times prevail. How may it’s some other means? These are the 4 largest tournaments, and whatever the significance and stature of the Gamers Championship, it’s not counted among the many 4 majors.

And to win participant of the 12 months with out capturing a serious championship, you usually must win extra tournaments than the opposite man. Every participant gained three.

Break it down additional.

Koepka completed forward of McIlroy in all 4 of the foremost championships, which clearly had been a disappointment to Rory, who did not contend in any of them.

He additionally beat McIlroy in a head-to-head Sunday showdown in Memphis to say the WGC-FedEx match. McIlroy obtained Koepka again in an identical situation on the Tour Championship, so would not that make them even there?

If the CJ Cup and Canadian victories cancel one another out, and even when you take into account the Gamers on a degree with the PGA, would not Koepka’s efficiency over the 4 majors break the tie?

“I assumed possibly Brooks profitable the PGA this 12 months was going to be the difference-maker,” McIlroy mentioned.

Two previous examples come to thoughts. In 1998, Mark O’Meara’s two main championships trumped David Duval’s 4 PGA Tour wins for participant of the 12 months voting. Maybe a greater instance: In 2008, Padraig Harrington gained consecutive main championships, profitable the glory over Tiger Woods, who in simply six tournaments gained 4 of them, together with the U.S. Open, and completed second on the Masters, his worst end fifth. (He missed the 2 majors Harrington gained attributable to knee surgical procedure.)

Put it this manner: Solely McIlroy’s accountants and brokers would possibly take into account his season higher than Koepka’s, and given the endorsement weight that comes with profitable a serious, maybe even they would not say so. Or, one other means: If requested to change seasons, would Brooks moderately have Rory’s?

In fact, it would not assist that the PGA Tour doesn’t launch vote totals. Was it shut? What number of gamers voted? Did anybody vote for somebody apart from McIlroy or Koepka? If a rating system is used, did Koepka maybe not even end as excessive as second on any participant’s poll?

The solutions to these questions would possibly inform us a number of issues, specifically, that this was extra of a recognition contest than an actual choose of whose 12 months was the perfect.

The PGA Tour’s lack of transparency right here may also help it promote a phony narrative, that profitable the Gamers is as massive as profitable a serious (it is not) and that profitable the FedEx Cup is a real, significant strategy to crown a season-long champion (not with out some flaws).

If the vote was shut, would not that be an incredible factor to know?

And if not, is not that considerably of an indictment of the system?

That is by no means meant to knock McIlroy, who had a outstanding season, in all probability his greatest by way of consistency. He missed simply two cuts, started 2019 with seven straight top-10 finishes and 13 total, and closed the hole atop the world rankings, beginning the 12 months eighth and shifting to second behind Koepka.

However the fact is, he’d moderately have a fifth main and have acquitted himself higher on the others.

If nothing else, it is an incredible debate — however one that can have Koepka chewing nails and spitting daggers as he goes for extra glory in 2020.