That was an interesting look.
Brooks Koepka’s PGA Championship victory celebration seemed to include an odd moment with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.
During a photo op with the Wanamaker Trophy following Koepka’s triumph at Oak Hill, the five-time major winner seemed to be in disbelief as the exec walked away following a brief exchange.
“What’s going on with Seth Waugh here,” the golf Twitter account Flushing It wrote alongside the video.
“Could he not bring himself to give Brooks a hand shake? Brooks is like ‘Wtf, man.’”
Neither Koepka nor Waugh have commented on the interaction, however Waugh was critical of LIV Golf ahead of the tournament.
Koepka was one of the bigger names — along with Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson — who defected to the Saudi-funded rebel tour last year.
The 33-year-old became the first player from LIV to win a major after he held off Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler for a two-shot win in Rochester, New York on Sunday.
“They can fund it for as long as they want to,” Waugh told The Times last week. “But no matter how much money you have, at some point burning it doesn’t feel very good. I don’t see they are accomplishing much.”
Waugh did note that he was pleased with “the civility” that players showed at the Masters after the biggest names in the sport exchanged shots through the media after LIV Golf started wooing star players with buckets of cash last year.
While Koepka was largely cheered in western New York, he and DeChambeau were both met with boos on the opening tee on Saturday as the former rivals were paired together for the third round.
“I don’t think division is good for the game,” Waugh said. “Hopefully, it’s good for those individuals that have made whatever decisions they have, but the game has moved on. It’s amplified those who have stayed and the ones who have left have largely disappeared from the landscape — in terms of an exposure perspective.”
However, Koepka’s win is a statement victory for the rival tour after many sceptics argued that the laid-back nature of LIV would dull the competitive spirit of the players for majors when they were again competing against PGA players.
“It validates everything we’ve said from the beginning: That we’re competing at the highest level and we have the ability to win major championships,” said DeChambeau, who was among the first to congratulate Koepka as he walked from the 18th tee to the scorer’s tent.
“I really hope people can see the light now that we’re trying to provide the game of golf with something new and fresh. I think at the end of the day, both sides are going to have to come together at some point. It’s for the good of the game.”
This story was published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission
