Brooks Koepka, PGA champion, his fifth Grand Slam in six years

Brooks Koepkaat 33 years old, managed this Sunday at Oak Hill CC from Rochester (NY) he PGA Championshiphis fifth grand slam and first since 2019 after winning the US Open in 2017 and 2018 and the PGA in 2018 and 2019. He won the three-way duel with 271 strokes and a final round of 67 to defeat the Norwegian Viktor Hovland (68 and 273)who buried his options with a double bogey on the 16th hole, and the new world number 1 Scottie Scheffler (65 and 273).

One from Texas ousted an obscure man from the leadership of OGWR Jon Rahm, 51st with 287. Scheffler made five under par for -7 in an impressive final rush but by all accounts was not enough to stop a once again solid, solvent Koepka who did not shrink from Hovland’s attacks and then by Scheffler, the three men fighting for the Wanamaker Trophy .

Koepka’s victory was also the first for a player enrolled in the LIV Golf. Undoubtedly, a full boost for this new circuit that does not count for the world ranking and receives a lot of criticism and has caused a schism in the golf classes.

The American, with an impassive look and stride, a month ago tied for second at the Augusta Masters after leading on the final day, like this Sunday. This time, having learned the lesson, he did not open the door to his rivals and completed an indisputable victory, worked very hard, remembering the great player he was five years ago.

Koepka last month at the Masters squandered a golden opportunity to win his fifth ‘major’. After going through similar events on Saturday at Oak Hill, this Sunday, also with a few moments of doubt, he corrected what he called a “traffic jam” in April at Augusta.

Koepka led the Masters for three rounds after surviving poor weather conditions on Friday and Saturday, similar to what players faced at Oak Hill. But in the final round he made 75 strokes and succumbed to a very good Jon Rahm, the eventual champion. Then he said that he didn’t lose the jacket but it fell off. And hopefully it won’t happen again. Nothing more said and done.

Koepka, 33, is the twenty-first golfer to win five or more “majors” and the sixth to win three or more Wanamaker Trophies, joining Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead. This is his 36th major, this is his 18th top ten and sixth on the PGA, where in addition to his victories he was 2nd in 2021, 4th in 2016 and 5th in 2015, the three positions are tied with other players. Brutal.

Koepka’s path to his fifth Grand Slam and reaching number one in the world ranking after winning the CJ Cup in South Korea in October 2018 reflects the evolution of a golfer who began his meteoric progression at a Challenge Tour tournament in Catalunya, specifically the Challenge de Catalunya which he won in La Graiera (Calafell) in 2012.

Perhaps more than one fan on the other side of the Atlantic has now discovered a player who has been ‘signed’ for more than a decade in Europe, and more specifically on the Challenge Tour. His first great victory, as we say, was achieved in Spain, in the province of Tarragona. Not only did Koepka win, but he left the credentials of being an amazing player, as he did later.

final classification

Par 70

271 Brooks Koepka (USA)

273 Scottie Scheffler (USA)

Viktor Hovland (Nor)

277 Kurt Kitayama (USA)

Cameron Davis (AU)

Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

278 Rory McIlroy (GBR)

Sepp Straka (Aut)

279 Patrick Cantlay (USA)

Justin Rose (GBR)

Cameron Smith (AU)

…

287 Jon Rahm (Span/51º)

292 Pablo Larrazábal (Esp/65º)