It was a resurgent Brooks Koepka on Sunday at the Phoenix Open. After an eighteen-month battle with knee and hip injuries and missed cuts in his last three events the former world number one proved the doubters wrong.
We thought Brooks Koepka had rather put the boot into Patrick Reed with his comments about building sandcastles but ex-CBS golf commentator Peter Kostis went even further this week inferring that Reed was a serial cheat.
The third major of the year is The U.S. Open, which will be the first major championship held at The Los Angeles Country Club and will be contested on the North Course. A host of both PGA Tour players and 15 LIV Golf Tour players will be competing for one of the most prestigious titles in golf.
Phil Mickelson became the oldest man to win a major title as he claimed the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. 50-year-old Mickelson's win came amidst incredible scenes as spectators flooded onto the 18th fairway to watch the closing moments.
Webb Simpson got the job done today at the Players with an unflapperable one over round of 73 to beat Jason Dufner, Charl Schwartzel, Xander Schauffele and Jimmy Walker by four shots. But Tiger Woods had a proper crack at it, before faltering on his back nine, whilst Brooks Koepka equalled the course record, on a fascinating final day.
Tiger Woods, in his first outing since his Masters victory will be teeing it up with Francesco Molinari and title holder, Brooks Koepka, for the opening two rounds of this week’s US PGA Championship.
Bryson DeChambeau has been making much of his new physique ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Apparently, he has better Abs than Brooks Koepka and he will be playing even faster now as he will be bombing the drives. He may be right about the speed of play this weekend though as he missed the cut!
Collin Morikawa closed with a three-under-par 69 to clinch a three-shot victory at the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession Club in Florida. After an early slip up with a bogey at the 2nd hole, Morikawa was flawless after that as he covered the remaining sixteen holes in four-under.
Justin Rose shot a third round 68 to close the gap on leader Gary Woodland to just one shot, with the field a further three shots back. Looming ominously in the pair’s rear-view mirror is one Brooks Koepka who shot a bogey free round of 68 to continue his slow, but continuous, move up the leaderboard.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry produced what he called "one of the most incredible days of my life" shooting an eight-under-par 63 that gives him a four-shot lead going into the final day of the Open at Royal Portrush! Englishman Tommy Fleetwood is the closest rival on 12 under after a 66 with JB Holmes third on 10 under. World number one Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose sit one further back but there are tough weather conditions forecast for the final day.
I must say as a lefty I am in awe of these young pros who seem to be able to switch around and bomb the ball, playing left-handed. It is well known that lefty-in-chief Phil Mickelson is very handy playing right-handed, but it seems a couple of the world's best can switch round with ease and bomb it!
Congratulations to Gary Woodland who stood firm under the pressure of a charging Brooks Koepka, the world number one and winner of four of the last eight majors he had played in. Others launched a challenge, most notably England’s Justin Rose, but all faded away as Woodland stuck to his task.
