Keopka's European Tour travels have given him an advantage

" I visited the St Jude hospital 3 years ago and it changed my life forever. These kids are fighting every day for their lives, their parents have given up everything. Nothing that we deal with matters at all, they put into perspective how unimportant golf and all we get with it is"

When Brooks Keopka arrived from Florida on the European Challenge Tour 10 years ago, big, tanned hitting it a mile, I wondered if he knew what he was getting into. Playing in front of sparse crowds in countries where golf is lucky to make the back pages of the sports section, different languages, money, religions, with little adulation, a long, long way from home and family is a daunting challenge to a spoiled American.

He proved that my concerns were groundless. He embraced his new peers and their shared journey. Travel is the great educator, and Brooks learned well. Unlike guys like Jordan Spieth who stayed at home with all it's comforts, silver spoon as it were, Brooks was on a 2nd class ticket from Christchurch in NZ to Joburg South Africa, trying to win his way onto the European Tour.

Along the way he became a man of the world, all his experiences giving him a balance, an appreciation of things most people back home take for granted.

He came back to the PGA Tour after winning around the world, armed with not only a great game, but an unspoiled attitude. People today mistake it for arrogance. They are wrong. Frankness, yes, cocky yes, self assured yes. Sounds like qualities for most great champions, eh!

Yesterday with the Fed Ex St.Jude Invitational WBC title on the line, he got down to business with 3 birdies on the front nine while Rory couldn't make any, never looked back for his 7th tour championship and he goes into the season ending playoffs the #1 seed, #1 in the world, and by the way $4.5m richer from his week's work.

That's a long way from the 21 year old kid that arrived years ago, on the other side of the pond playing for a few hundred whatever the currency was !

Golf is now a world wide game, South Korea dominates the women's game, China is emerging, there are pro tournaments galore there now, social media is instant, players are in constant touch to the world at a flip of their phone.

Brooks Keopka is the best prepared American to deal with all of that, and will be for years to come thanks to his travels on the European tours.

Bryan Angus