Less than 24 hours after the internet scolded Joe Buck for messing up the name of US Open champ Brooks Koepka’s girlfriend, the FOX commentator explained the gaffe Monday during a spot on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“I wasn’t up on that information,” Buck began. “I got handed a card by a buddy, who was phenomenal all week, and it had old info on it and you know, we got it right before we got off the air, but that’s not the world we live in these days. You have to do the apology tour, forgetting the week-old girlfriend, so sorry, world.”
After Koepka wrapped up the Open with his first major title win, his lady love, actress Jena Sims, congratulated him with a sweet smooch. Buck chimed in, identifying the striking brunette as Koepka’s former flame, soccer starlet Becky Edwards. Analyst Brad Faxon ultimately corrected him.
“Joe, that’s actually his new girlfriend, that’s Jena Sims,” Faxon said.
Buck later said, “It was all a mess,” but admitted he’s done “way worse” from the broadcasting booth, referencing a past encounter with former Diamondbacks infielder Tony Womack and a special lady in his life.
“I asked Tony Womack at the end of a Division Series game, when he was hugging a woman down on the field and I was interviewing him from the booth,” Buck said. “Truth be told, I couldn’t really see, but we had just been talking about how he lost his dad on Father’s Day that year. And he’s hugging this woman, and I said, ‘Hey, Tony, I can’t imagine how that feels. Who are you hugging down there, is that your mom?’ And then the needle came off the record and he goes, ‘No, that’s my wife.’
“This is the week-old girlfriend. I think the world will continue to spin, but I just confused somebody’s wife for the guy’s mother,” he continued. “I actually sent her flowers and went down and apologized.”
Buck said he intends to reach out to Koepka given that the broadcaster didn’t stick around for any closing ceremonies.
“I got the hell out of Wisconsin,” Buck said. “I just put the pedal down and said, ‘See you.'”
As for the on-air slip, Buck noted mishaps are all a part of the game.
“I’m personally doing seven-and-a-half hours of live TV a day, and there are going to be mistakes all over the place. And that’s the nature of it,” he explained. “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re boring.”