It’s safe to say Brooks Koepka is having one of the best weeks of his life. First, he claimed his fifth Major title in the PGA Championship, then his beloved ice hockey team, Florida Panthers, moved within one win of the Stanley Cup with a 1-0 victory against Carolina Hurricanes.
Not only did Koepka appear at the FLA Live Arena to watch the win, he also brought along the Wanamaker Trophy, where, donning his Florida Panthers jersey, he was shown on the big screen lifting it, to the delight of the other fans in the arena.
After his two-shot win at Oak Hill Country Club the day before, Koepka was asked how he would reflect on his third PGA Championship title. He admitted it would take time and come after a celebration. He said: “It’s tough to kind of reflect in the moment. I think probably the best reflection comes like a day, a couple days later. Well, definitely not tomorrow. I won't be sober.”
He appears to have been true to his word, with footage also emerging of him celebrating the team’s victory with left winger Brady Tkachuk, who is seen drinking from the trophy.
🚨Brooks & Brady Tkachuk celebrate the Panthers taking a 3-0 series lead. 🍺 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5mrFHqL5SpMay 23, 2023
Fans had their say on Koepka’s celebrations on Twitter, with one saying: "Brooks is absolutely nuked lol love it," and another remarking: "Brooks knows how to celebrate a win!"
Brooks is absolutely nuked lol love itMay 23, 2023
Brooks knows how to celebrate a win!May 23, 2023
As well as his fifth Major title and the win for the Florida Panthers, which took them to within one victory of their first Stanley Cup final since 1996, Koepka's achievement meant even more to him given his injury problems over recent years, which he alluded to after the tournament.
He said: "It feels damned good. Yeah, this one is definitely special. I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that's gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years. But it feels good to be back and to get number five."
Given that, it's hard to argue his celebrations were well-earned. The scenes during and after the game were also in contrast to another appearance Koepka made at a Florida Panthers game last month, where he was filmed shouting obscenities, including calling Aaron Ekblad a "f****** traffic cone,” while holding a traffic cone himself.
Following Koepka's altogether more celebratory appearance at Monday's game, it's back down to earth for the American later in the week, as he tees it up in the latest LIV Golf event in the schedule, at Trump National Golf Club in Washington DC.
