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Koepka more than a golfer: 'I'm an athlete'

Tom Pennington / Getty Images Sport / Getty

When Brooks Koepka's lounging at home, he's not watching golf. And make no mistake: he's more than simply a professional golfer.

"I'm an athlete," Koepka told ESPN's Jason Sobel. "I'm not a big golf nerd in that aspect. I'm not big on the history. At home, I'm definitely not watching golf. I'd rather be watching baseball, basketball, football, whatever it is."

Another truth: Koepka's good at golf. He's one solid round from his second career PGA Tour victory, leading the Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes heading into Sunday.

Like other athletes, he keeps things simple when he's out there doing his thing. While he's currently driving the ball fewer yards than he normally does, other parts of his game are elevating him, especially his putting.

"We don't like to think a lot," said Claude Harmon III, Koepka's swing coach.

"I've worked with Claude for probably four years now," the 26-year-old said, "and I think over those four years it's the same thing every time. I think of three things, and that's it. Just keep it short and take it outside and swing it left. That's it. It's been the same three things for four years now. So that's pretty simple, I'd say."

With the Byron Nelson Championship taking place in Irving, Texas, hometown favorite Jordan Spieth is getting most of the press. Spieth trails by two shots heading into Sunday, but Koepka's going to do Koepka.

"I'm pretty chill," he said, when asked if the pro-Spieth crowd affects him at all, adding: "I'm just going to do me. That's it."

Simple.

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