AUGUSTA - Brooks Koepka had it all in golf, and then lost it. And now, it appears, he may be on his way back to having it once again.
The 87th Masters has become his to lose after he followed his 7-under 65 in the first round with a clinical 67 on Friday to reach 12-under par for the tournament. Taking advantage of ideal conditions at Augusta National, Koepka played the four par-5 holes in 5 under and parred the other 14 holes.
“The feeling is probably pretty similar” to when he won four major titles in the span of two years, Koepka said after his round. “I feel really good. I like the way I’m swinging the golf club, putting it, chipping it, driving it, iron play is solid. It feels really similar.”
The 32-year-old from Jupiter, Florida has made only one bogey in 36 holes, avoiding the mistakes that can be so penalizing on this course.
“It was a clinic for 36 holes,” said Gary Woodland, a playing partner for the first two rounds.
Woodland recalled playing the third round with Koepka at the PGA Championship in 2018, ultimately won by Koepka.
“It was the same thing,” Woodland. “Just in control of his game.”
Koepka’s dominant play Friday morning has caused pre-tournament talk centered on the game’s big three of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler to recede. One of the most brash players of his age, Koepka didn’t shrink when asked about the possibility of adding a Masters title to his résumé (he has won both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship twice).
“The whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right?” Koepka asked. “I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won British Opens, as well. Look, I guess it’s one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I’ve done what I should have accomplished in this game.”
Not so long ago, Koepka stood firmly atop the golf world. In a stretch of 12 major tournaments, starting with the 2016 PGA Championship and extending through the 2019 Open Championship, Koepka won four times and finished fifth or better another four times with another three top-15 finishes.
In winning the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens and the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships, he became the first golfer ever to hold back-to-back titles in two different majors at the same time.
However, in the nine majors since, while he has three top-10 finishes, he also failed to make the cut three times and finished outside the top 25 the other three.
He was slowed by injuries to both of his knees. He tore the patella tendon in his left knee in 2019 and dislocated the kneecap and tore the patella tendon in his other knee in 2021.
From the start of the 2019-20 season through July 2022, he played in 49 tour events and won one with 12 top-10 finishes. Hardly embarrassing, but not to his standards.
It was in June 2022 that he made the momentous decision to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf for a reported $100 million. While a staggering sum, it resulted in his suspension from the PGA Tour and rendered him able to compete against the world’s best only at the major championships. He said Friday that had he been healthy at the time of his defection, the decision to do so would have been more challenging.
“I think it would have been,” Koepka said. “But I’m happy with the decision I made.”
At his post-round news conference, Koepka practically reveled in the shape of his game with his strength, agility and swing restored. It enabled him to hit perhaps his shot of the day, a 250-yard 3-iron from the fairway of the par-5 eighth that rolled to a stop 13 feet from the pin, setting up a putt for eagle that dropped him to 10-under for the tournament.
“I’m able to do everything I need to do,” he said. “And the confidence is there.”
As it stands, Koepka is carrying the banner for the Saudi-backed tour, with LIV notable Phil Mickelson at 4 under. The potential of a LIV player donning the green jacket Sunday evening – an image that surely does not sit well with either the club or the PGA Tour – is quite real.
So, too, is the potential that a Masters champion’s scorecard may forever carry a measure of doubt after Koepka was entangled in a bit of controversy Thursday. On the 15th hole of the first round, Koepka’s caddy Ricky Elliott was caught on video apparently mouthing the word “five” to Woodland’s caddy prior to Woodland taking his shot while Koepka himself extended all five fingers as he removed his glove in a possible indication of the club (5-iron) that he used on his shot.
Sharing club information constitutes giving advice to a competitor and is a rules violation with a two-stroke penalty. According to a statement from the Masters on Thursday, all parties involved were “adamant that no advice was given or requested,” so no penalty was assessed. In response, Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley said that while sharing club information is common practice in the professional ranks, he called it “staggering that they’ve denied it because the evidence is there.”
Friday, Koepka said that his understanding was that Elliott was signaling to “somebody else” the club selection, although the video shows Woodland’s caddy Thomas Little appearing to be looking at Elliott as he mouthed the number. Koepka also said he was not flashing a 5 with his fingers but merely extending his fingers to remove his glove. Koepka also explained that Woodland and Little asked after the shots what Koepka had hit, his confirmation that no information had been exchanged.
“The last thing I’m going to do is give (help) to Gary Woodland, the (2019) U.S. Open champ,” Koepka said.
The matters appears closed. But as the field chases the rolling Koepka, any assistance would be appreciated.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
Credit: Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
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