Brooks Koepka reveals PGA Tour rules breach he witnessed this season: ‘It was really bad’

Brooks Koepka has lifted the lid on an alleged rules breach he witnessed during a recent PGA Tour event, revealing how he caught a fellow competitor doing something he considered particularly blatant – but ultimately decided against reporting it.

The five-time major champion made the admission during an appearance on Dan Rapaport's Dan on Golf show, where he discussed players allegedly improving their lies in the rough and why such incidents can be difficult to police.

Koepka, 36, admitted he has seen players appear to take advantage of the rules, particularly when they believe nobody is watching.

“Yeah, I've noticed a lot of guys do it, and guys get away with it more because you're not on top of them,” he explained.

“So I might be over there hitting my shot, but you're over here in the left rough and guys definitely do it, but it's just how are you going to prove it?”

The former World No.1 acknowledged that he would be prepared to alert an official if he witnessed something particularly obvious, although he suggested it can be difficult to know exactly what has happened.

He then recalled one incident from this year that stood out.

Koepka reveals alleged rules breach he witnessed

“There's one I saw this year that was really bad,” Koepka said, stifling a laugh. 

“I'm not going to name the player, he's not playing in this [Skins Game], but it was pretty bad.”

Koepka went on to explain that the incident involved a chip shot, claiming he had a clear view of what happened.

“It was a chip. I saw it. It was really bad. He went for the backswing and you could see the whole ball.”

Despite believing he had witnessed a blatant breach, Koepka decided not to report the player to a rules official.

Rapaport asked whether he had considered doing so, prompting an amusing explanation from the American.

“I just ate that one because karma came and bit him on the next hole,” Koepka revealed.

“I think he made a double or a triple on the next hole so I was like what am I going to say? But it was interesting.”

• Brooks Koepka takes brutal swipe at Bryson DeChambeau while defending Rory McIlroy

Koepka's decision not to intervene was partly down to the difficulty of proving what had happened.

“What am I going to do? I can't prove it, and like at the same time, I understand guys have got to put the club down here, but if you keep putting the club down of course...”

The player involved was not identified, and Koepka's account has not been independently established as an official rules violation.

Watch Koepka's comments in full here: 

Koepka weighs in on Wyndham Clark and AimPoint putting

Koepka's account of the alleged rules breach was separate from his comments about Wyndham Clark, who was also discussed during the interview. Clark was not the player Koepka was referring to in his story about the incident in the rough.

Clark is set to face Koepka in the upcoming Farmers Insurance Skins Game on 27 November, with Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun also featuring in the Black Friday contest that will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime. 

Rapaport brought up Clark and the criticism he has received over his pre-shot routine, which has previously attracted attention when he repeatedly placed or pressed his club into the ground around his ball in thick rough.

Some observers questioned whether Clark was improving his lie, but he defended his actions and was cleared in those incidents.

Koepka, meanwhile, turned his attention to a different issue: the amount of activity around the hole caused by trenching, but especially AimPoint putting. The technique involves players using their feet to assess the slope of a green before selecting their putting line. 

AimPoint has become increasingly popular on professional tours, but Koepka believes the process can leave the area around the cup looking worse for wear.

“I'm not a huge fan of it,” he admitted.

Koepka explained that the putting surfaces can become particularly worn during Sunday afternoons, when players and caddies repeatedly move around the hole to assess the slopes.

“How dried out and firm it is from three feet around the hole, I don't know if it's because guys are doing AimPoint more and caddies are in there,” Koepka said.

“You go this way and then you spin and do the other way, it gets very chewed up around the hole lately.”

He added that the issue can become noticeable when players are faced with short putts, with the ground around the cup sometimes looking heavily worn.

It is worth distinguishing that concern from the rules themselves. Players are permitted to repair damage on putting greens, including spike marks, under updated rules in 2019, but that does not give them permission to deliberately improve their intended line of play.

Koepka backs Rory McIlroy over Bryson DeChambeau Masters snub

During his half-hour interview with Rapaport, the nine-time PGA Tour winner also offered his verdict on one of the most talked-about moments from Rory McIlroy's 2025 Masters victory, backing the Northern Irishman's decision not to engage with Bryson DeChambeau during the entirety of the final round.

The pair had a brief tense exchange over who should play first on the 9th green, with McIlroy ultimately refusing DeChambeau's suggestion that they settle the matter with a toss of a tee.

Asked about the incident, Koepka was firmly on McIlroy's side.

“He shouldn't have [spoken to DeChambeau],” Koepka told Rapaport.

“I mean, he lives in his own world. I mean, I don't think many people want to talk to him regardless.”

Koepka and DeChambeau previously had a frosty relationship on the PGA Tour, although their bond warmed after both joined LIV Golf in 2022 and eventually made amends.

He also made it clear that he would not necessarily expect conversation from fellow competitors himself.

“I'm not a big talker. I'll talk a little bit, maybe the first couple of holes,” explained Koepka, who this year re-joined the PGA Tour after quitting LIV Golf in 2025. 

“I fully understand it. I don't feel bad. It is what it is. Some guys don't talk. It's okay. It's their job. They get to do what they want.”

Koepka praises McIlroy after career Grand Slam

Koepka's comments are particularly interesting given his long-standing friendship with McIlroy, although their relationship has never stopped either man wanting to get the better of the other.

McIlroy now has six major titles to Koepka's five, having completed the career Grand Slam with his playoff victory over Justin Rose at the 2025 Masters before successfully defending the title this April. 

Koepka was full of praise for his good friend, even if he remains determined to beat him whenever they compete.

“I'm happy for him, I think he deserves it. I think he's arguably one of the best players to ever play the game.

“But at the same time, I want to beat the crap out of him and I'm sure he feels the same way.”