“I love this place. This place has always been good to me. I feel like I play it really well. I enjoy the golf course, I enjoy Memphis,” Koepka said. “It’s a fun place to come back year after year, so I’ve enjoyed it. This golf course, obviously with a little bit of rain, it’s a little bit softer than it has been in years past, but the golf course is in probably the best shape I’ve seen it the last four years.”

All that said, Koepka won’t be eating any Memphis BBQ. He brought his own chef, he said, as the local cuisine “isn’t really on my diet, unfortunately.”

Justin Rose, the No. 4 player in the world, is another one of the players who’s never played at TPC Southwind or spent time in Memphis – he’s also from England.

Rose didn’t get into town until last night. He emphasized looking forward to getting out in the city and trying the food and seeing sights, allowing him to hedge the barbecue question until later in the week. But first glance, Rose was enjoying the feeling of TPC Southwind.

Event organizers didn’t want to put a figure on the anticipated fan turnout for the next four days. What they would say is that they’ve already sold over twice as many tickets as the year prior.

“I mean, this golf course is just as good, I think. I’ve enjoyed it. I think you see a lot of guys have played this event over the last five years,” Koepka said. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of passion here. I think every time we’ve come on the weekend, there’s been – I don’t know how many fans actually show up. But it always feels like the last couple groups, it’s packed like 10 deep. That’s what makes it fun for us.”

If estimates are true, and double the tickets are being sold, that 10-deep crowd will be 20-deep or more come Sunday in Memphis.