The U.S. Open at Oakmont has tested every player’s patience this week. Scottie Scheffler found himself grinding through another challenging round. Yet it wasn’t his scorecard that caught attention. Instead, it was his animated exchange with longtime coach Randy Smith on the practice range.
When pressed about the heated moment during his press conference, Scheffler didn’t hesitate to drag Brooks Koepka into the conversation. He used Koepka’s recent coaching drama to justify his own on-course confrontation. “You even look at like Brooks made some comments this week about his coach kind of getting in his grille,” Scheffler explained.
The world No. 1 wasn’t making excuses. Rather, he was making a point about elite coaching relationships. “When you have that consistency and you have long-term relationships, there’s a lot more trust that gets built up between people,” he said.
Koepka’s situation provided the perfect example. Pete Cowen delivered a brutal 45-minute scolding in an Oakmont bunker earlier this week. “I don’t like having ‘yes’ people around me,” Koepka admitted. “I just want somebody to tell me the truth.” Scheffler seized on this honesty. He emphasized how true coaching partnerships require uncomfortable conversations. “A true friend is somebody that is there for you when you need them but they’re also not going to just be a yes-man,” he noted.
The grind never stops. Even for the World No. 1.pic.twitter.com/hdrVDNo1VR
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 13, 2025
This is a developing story.
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