Another honour for Koepka for stellar 2018 season
Winner of three of past six majors, he’s the PGA’s player of the year
Two majors, one player of the year award.
In a vote of his peers, Brooks Koepka added to his trophy trove as he was named the PGA Tour’s player of the year on the strength of wins in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York and the PGA Championship at Bellerive in Missouri.
With his win in the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, Koepka has won three majors in his last six starts in golf’s four biggest events.
Koepka became the first to win the U.S. Open in consecutive years since Curtis Strange in 1988-89. Koepka also became the fifth player to win the U.S. Open and PGA in the same season, the first since Tiger Woods in 2000.
And now Koepka will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, named in honour of the all-time leader in major championship victories.
“Looking at the list of the guys who have won this, Mr. Nicklaus, Tiger, so many Hall of Famers, that’s what you want growing up, that’s what you dream of,” Koepka said in a phone interview. “It’s an honour.”
This year, he’ll be asked repeatedly about another major champion — Willie Anderson, the only player to win the U.S. Open in three straight years. Anderson accomplished the feat in 1903-05.
“Yes, I know who Willie Anderson is and the questions have already started,” Koepka said. “I’m excited to try to do it. The first time I defended a major I won it. I’m looking forward trying to win three in a row, especially at Pebble (Beach, home to the 2019 U.S. Open). You don’t put any added pressure on yourself, that’s not me, that’s not my personality.
“I’ll embrace everything and go from there.”
Koepka, 28, had four other top-10s during the year, including runner-up finishes in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and the Fort Worth Invitational.
Koepka missed nearly four months early in 2018 — he didn’t play in the Masters — with an injured left wrist. He said he no longer has any issues with the wrist and will begin his 2018-19 season next week in CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in Korea.
He’ll begin his season looking at another mountain to climb.
“There is always something on the course or off the course that
you want to achieve. Right now, it’s trying to get to No. 1,” Said Koepka, who is No. 3. “From there, you find something else and you try and build on it.
“I improved my driving last year. My driver was way more under control. I hit a lot more
fairways than what we’re used to. I’ve always been a pretty good putter, but this year I didn’t putt as well as I would have liked.
“Obviously, I putted well in the majors but other than that it wasn’t up to my standards and I’m working to improve that.”