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Brooks Koepka poses with the trophy after the US Open golf tournament. Chris Carlson

US Open champion Brooks Koepka once admitted he prefers baseball to golf

The American suggested he would have liked to been a baseball star instead.

Updated at 08.50

ON SUNDAY, BROOKS Koepka won the US Open at Erin Hills, beating the rest of the field by a healthy four strokes and tying Rory McIlroyโ€™s mark for lowest-under-par score in the history of the tournament at 16-under.

It was just Koepkaโ€™s second career win on the PGA Tour and his first major victory, but the win was not a complete surprise either. Koepka has finished in the top 15 at a major eight times in the last four years, including the last four he has entered, and a fourth-place finish at the US Open in 2014.

With all his success, one might expect Koepka to be a golfer-for-life; someone who watched greats like Tiger and Phil in his youth and knew from a young age that he would someday be a major champion like them. However, during to a 2015 interview with Golf Digest, Koepka made it clear this was not the case.

To be honest, Iโ€™m not a big golf nerd,โ€ Koepka said in 2015. โ€œGolf is kind of boring, not much action. I come from a baseball family, and itโ€™s in my blood.โ€

In 2015 Koepka made $3.5 million playing on Tour, and thatโ€™s before including any sponsorship deals. But despite his financial success, he still insisted he wished he had chosen another path.

If I could do it over again, Iโ€™d play baseballโ€”100%, no doubt,โ€ Koepka said.

By winning the US Open, Koepka took home $2.1 million this week alone.

Koepka is right that baseball is in his blood โ€” his great uncle Dick Groat won two World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was named National League MVP in 1960.

But Koepka acknowledged that the pure baseball talent didnโ€™t come quite as easily to him. When asked why he didnโ€™t pursue baseball instead, Koepka said, โ€œCould never hit a home run as a kid. Maybe I was too small, but it drove me nuts. I kind of wish Iโ€™d stuck with it.โ€

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    Mute John Cronin
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    Feb 11th 2013, 3:52 PM

    I reckon Cork are fairly short at 5/6 to win the Drogehda\Portadown game!

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    Feb 11th 2013, 3:53 PM

    Fair point John, thanks.

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