AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Tiger Woods was looking for any advantage he could get ahead of the Open Championship, but Brooks Koepka was not willing to give him any help.
- Tiger Woods asked Brooks Koepka to play a practice round together ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
- Koepka's caddie Ricky Elliott is a member at the course, making him one of the most knowledgable men on the links this weekend.
- Woods told reporters that Koepka did not reply to his request.
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Tiger Woods is always looking for an edge, but as he found out ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Brooks Koepka will not be the one to give it to him.
Woods said at a press conference before the Open that he had contacted Koepka ahead of the tournament, congratulating him on his stellar play at majors over the past two seasons and asking if he'd be up for a practice round ahead of the final major of the year.
Top players walking the course and playing a practice round together ahead of a big tournament is nothing new, but Woods had a specific reason for wanting to play alongside Koepka - to pick the brain of his caddie, Ricky Elliott.
This is the first time Royal Portrush has hosted the Open since 1951, so information is at a premium for players such as Woods who have never played the course. Elliott is a member at Royal Portrush, meaning it's likely he'll have a better first-hand knowledge of the course and how it plays than almost any competitor in the field.
Unfortunately for Woods, Koepka never responded to his request.
While Koepka's lack of response was likely a clever bit of gamesmanship, it's also possible that he simply doesn't plan on doing that much practicing ahead of Thursday's opening round. Speaking on his practicing habits, Koepka admitted to getting a few swings in before the majors, but not much else.
"I just practice before the majors. Regular tournaments I don't practice," Koepka told reporters. "When you see me on TV, that's when I play golf."
Brooks Koepka has every reason to be confident in his game heading into the Open, having won three of the past six majors and finishing in second at two others.
He enters the Open this year as one of the favorites to win the tournament, alongside Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Dustin Johnson. With a win, he'll have five major championships to his name and need just a win at the Masters to become the sixth golfer ever to complete a career grand slam.
- Read more from Tyler Lauletta:
"I asked if we could play a practice round... I haven't heard back" 🤫@TigerWoods has been trying to find out the secret behind Brooks Koepka's major success ahead of #TheOpen, but with no luck. pic.twitter.com/khKpjwLt9G
- Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 16, 2019You may practice your golf more than @BKoepka 😲#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/asvgHSrRkB
- The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2019