McIlroy and Koepka hug, Koepka drinks from the Wanamaker trophy
Darren Riehl, Pardon my Take
Hello, friends, and happy Monday after the PGA Championship!
I’m recovering from the best week of my life, which began at my cousin’s wedding, ran straight into a major week and peaked at a Taylor Swift concert in the pouring rain. My first trip to Rochester isn’t one I’ll forget — my coworkers and I hit up Wegmans, I saw some old pals at Oak Hill and even got to interview Bones Mackay over ice cream at Pittsford Farms Dairy.
It’s not unusual for me to firmly believe I’d just love living in a city or region after I visit it for work, but I really do mean it about Rochester. The people were great, the houses were stunning and their beloved grocery store is second-to-none.
Also, one quick shout-out: Anyone who knows me, has seen me out and about, or even just caught a glimpse on a Zoom meeting knows that I’m not exactly stylish. I get about as creative as a black t-shirt and jeans (original, I know) — but I’m always struggling to figure out what to wear on site at a tournament. So thanks to my new pals at Adidas for making my week easy by picking out some looks for me. They saved me a lot of time in the morning, and more importantly, from further humiliation in my family group chat. These were some of my favorite items I sported at Oak Hill.
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ADIDAS GO-TO GOLF SWEATSHIRT
Take on those cold mornings and breezy afternoons on the course in this adidas golf sweatshirt. It has a roomy fit and it’s made of a soft cotton blend to keep you warm and comfortable from the time you tee off till the last putt. Banded sleeves ensure a stay-put feel while you swing.
GO-TO GOLF JOGGERS
$95
Move comfortably on the golf course in these adidas golf jogger pants. Wear them to play a few casual rounds with friends or to get that early morning practice at the driving range. They’re made of a soft and stretchy fabric that lets you swing with a full range of motion from backswing to that smooth follow-through.
1/4-ZIP GOLF PULLOVER
$80
Sometimes a simple polo shirt doesn’t cut it on a chilly morning or a late afternoon at the course. Throw on this adidas golf pullover before you tee off to keep warm and comfortable through every hole. It’s made of a soft fabric blend with a bit of stretch to let you swing comfortably and ensure a full range of motion.
Now — to the action!
Michael Block
Sam Bennett. The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. The nerdy girl who ends up with the jock in a high-school rom-com. We here at the Rogers Report love a good underdog story. And for that reason, we adore Michael Block. As far as I’m concerned, there were two winners at Oak Hill on Sunday: Brooks Koepka and Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club’s teaching pro.
Block’s performance at Oak Hill — especially the ace he made in front of Rory McIlroy on Sunday — was incredible, but I firmly believe that his performance in an ad for Arroyo Trabuco is his magnum opus.
Has anyone ever competed in a major championship and won an Oscar in the same year? If not, Block is about to make even more history.
I think what I like about Block so much (besides his talent, of course) is that he was (for lack of a better term) a “regular guy” getting to experience this all, which made it feel somewhat relatable.
He didn’t hide his excitement at all. He wore his heart on his sleeve all week. Block also gained 143,000 new Instagram followers — but hey, who’s counting? (Block. Block was counting. He admitted as much on Saturday, and that was before the ace took things next level.)
Brooks and Rory embrace
LIV this, PGA Tour that! Did Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy put the “us vs. them” narrative to bed with one single hug on Sunday evening in Rochester?
Probably not! But this was still an awesome moment to see. Shout-out to our visual mastermind Darren Riehl for always capturing the really good stuff. At the end of the video, Koepka said “see you boys. I’ll give you a shout later.” So now my nosey self is extremely curious. Did Koepka mean that the same way I “mean” it when I tell my pals I’ll meet them at the bar later despite my plans to be in bed by 9 p.m.? Or was he actually going to text/call McIlroy? And now has he done so? These are the questions that keep me up at night, folks.
The Wanamaker trophy
If you saw Brooks Koepka’s Full Swing episode on Netflix, you probably learned a few things. First is that platinum-blond hair is not for everybody! Second is that Koepka was in a very dark place last year.
So it was very cool for his comeback to be “official,” even though he almost won the Masters and has had a few victories over on LIV Golf. And since he and his wife Jena, are expecting their first child, let’s put some perspective on his major championship wins.
Koepka has now won THREE majors in New York.
Is he the most successful sports franchise in the Empire State? A few people (me, myself and I) are saying this.
Koepka drank out of the Wanamaker while chatting with the guys from Pardon My Take on Sunday night, and he shared that it’s very difficult to drink out of. You know what they say: God gives his toughest battles to his major champions!
Then his chef, Nogee, who travels to most events with Koepka to keep him well-fed, got to drink out of it as well.
Chef Nogee on Instagram
But where was Koepka’s wife, Jena, during all of this? She had an incredible clap-back to those who took note of her absence.
Well played, Jena. Then she took to TikTok to explain the real reason she wasn’t there: she’s a finalist for Sports Illustrated swimsuit and had some events for that over the weekend.
Safe to say it was a big weekend for both members of the Sims-Koepka power couple.
Backwards hats at Oak Hill
While I dealt with a rainy Taylor Swift concert on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, the pros were dealing with a weather situation of their own at Oak Hill. And when the rain starts dripping off the brim of players’ hats, it calls for them to be turned around. I’m sure the “hoodies don’t belong on the golf course!” gang hated this move at such a historic venue, but I was a big fan.
Seeing it took me back to my high school golf days.
And then it reminded me of my college days, where the frat boys loved nothing more than a pair of boat shoes, Nantucket-red shorts and a backwards hat.
I cannot in good conscience say I miss those days, but it was a good exercise to think about all the times I stood awkwardly in the corner of a basement pretending to text while counting down the minutes until my Uber arrived. Ah, how far we’ve come.
Brooks Koepka’s social media love
It’s always fun to see who congratulates major winners on the internet. Here are some of my favorite congratulatory Tweets that Brooks Koepka got. We’ll start off strong with Bryson DeChambeau, who has a long history with Koepka.
Consider the hatchet buried! Then we’ve got another handful of pros, none of whom summed it all up as perfectly as Max Homa.
The people’s caddie takes on Oak Hill
Geno Bonnalie, Full Swing superstar and caddie for Joel Dahmen, took on Oak Hill the day after the PGA Championship. Bonnalie is a nice player in his own right, and lucky for us he documented his whole round on Twitter.
Talk about a guy who knows his game. Bonnalie was right on the mark when he predicted how his round would go on Sunday afternoon.
And like any golfer, the media took note of his success.
Congrats to Geno! I’m sure those autographs he signed at Oak Hill last week will sell for a lot on eBay.
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