Eddie Pepperell throws shade on Brooks Koepka following USA's Ryder Cup demise

The term rugged individualism was first coined by former American President Edgar Hoover, describing the experiences of the early US settlers as they pushed west. With no infrastructure and harsh environments, these frontiersmen had only themselves to rely on for survival.

In hostile territory and under fire from the boisterous European crowd, that's likely how a few of Zach Johnson's men felt this past weekend in Rome.

Perhaps the epitome of rugged individualism within the US team in Rome this year was Koepka. Unfazed and softly spoken, the five-time major winner prefers to let his golf do the talking. But when facing the press last week, the big Floridian had to use his outside voice, where he said something that stuck with Pepperell.

"Brooks to me is the outlier," Pepperell told the Chipping Forecast podcast.

"He's the massive individual in this and I think that's why he's won so many Majors.

"But there was one point where he was asked in the press conference at the beginning of the week: 'Who would have the ball? [to play in a deciding match] You know: 'How many people do you think will take the ball and win the Ryder Cup?' And he took a moment to reflect and he said: 'Very few'.

"To me, that is somebody that cannot understand that it's sometimes worth lying to say the right thing when you're part of the team. And there would have been some people in that team would known that, actually, he's referring to them and he didn't specify the Europeans. 

"He just said: 'Very few'. I think that is somebody who does not understand the nature of being part of a team."

Koepka finished with a 1-1-1 record at the Ryder Cup, losing his fourballs match with partner Scottie Scheffler to the in-form Viktor Hovland and debutant Ludwig Aberg by an incredible 9&7 margin.

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