Cowen: "There’s no future in the past, so you've got to look forward"

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Brooks Koepka chat on the No. 7 tee during Round 4 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, November 15, 2020.

Coach Pete Cowen is clear about where he wants to go with Rory McIlroy and it’s got nothing to do with where the Holywood star was before.

“We were on the range this morning at half-past seven and just went through the basic principles of what we actually need to achieve,” Cowen said on the range at Augusta National.

“Just go back to the simple process of making sure that we improve. Practice to improve and stop looking back at what we used to be like. As I always say, there’s no future in the past. So you’ve got to look forward.”

The veteran coach was seen working with four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka, who looked unlikely to compete after undergoing surgery on his right knee to fix a dislocated kneecap and ligament damage on March 16.

“Walking the course is going to be the main thing, nothing else, ” he said of the challenge for Koepka. “Hitting balls is no problem. He’s in great shape.”

Asked if he was surprised to see Koepka tee it up so soon after knee surgery, he said: “Absolutely. I don’t think anybody can help but be surprised knowing he was on crutches 19 days ago. To be here and hitting it as well as he’s hitting it, he’s in great shape. The only problem is going to be the walking. it’s a tough course to walk.”