Brooks Koepka claims Masters rule is being broken all the time by players and caddies

The 2023 Masters runner-up, Brooks Koepka, gave a candid response when asked about last year’s caddie controversy in which he was lucky to evade a two-shot penalty

Brooks Koepka says course information is being shared all the time between golfers, despite a specific rule outlawing exactly that.

Last year’s Masters runner-up found himself in hot water during the opening round at Augusta National when his caddie, Ricky Elliott, appeared to give Gary Woodland’s caddie a heads-up. The Northern Irishman said the word “Five” to his compatriot after Koepka hit a 5-iron onto the green at the 15th.

Rule 10-2a clearly states players are not allowed to give or ask for advice unless it’s with their caddie. The same rule applies to caddies also. A two-stroke penalty is dished out to any offenders.

The Masters did launch an investigation into the incident but, after speaking to the relevant parties, deemed no foul play.

A Masters statement said: “Following the completion of Brooks Koepka’s round, the Committee questioned his caddie and others in the group about a possible incident on No. 15. All involved were adamant that no advice was given or requested. Consequently, the Committee determined that there was no breach of the Rules.”

Koepka fell short on the final day last year, with Rahm eventually winning the tournament, meaning any potential controversy over a victory was avoided. Returning to Augusta this year, Koepka was asked about the incident – and claims the rule is being broken regularly by players and caddies.

“I mean, everybody’s exchanging information all day long,” he said. “Looking in guys’ bags, caddies are signaling all day long. But who knew, I think I was just foreshadowing what was going to happen.”

That won’t please Paul McGinley who was furious Koepka avoided the penalty last year – and equally baffled by the fact the American denied it.

“It is very obvious. It is staggering they have denied it,” McGinley raged on the Golf Channel. “The video evidence is there, whether you like it or not. It is a breach of the rules. It is common practice. It is not always so blatant. The evidence is overwhelming.”

His sentiments were shared by Brandel Chamblee, who added: “It looked to me he was looking at Brennan Little saying: “Five’. It is giving advice. The rules are there to protect the integrity of the competition. It is obviously a violation of the rules.”

When asked about the incident at the time, Koepka said: “Yeah, we looked at it when we got back in. GW (Woodland) and Butchie (Little) had no idea what we were hitting. I know that fact because GW asked me what we hit walking off, when we were walking down. So that’s all I can give you.”

Given Koepka’s comments regarding the rule on Tuesday, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Masters chiefs pay closer attention to any information being shared this year.