Heat on Lowry in Abu Dhabi as Koepka dazzles
AMERICAN TARGETS WORLD DOMINATION
BROOKS KOEPKA gathered all his crew around him on the practice ground here on Monday for a rallying cry at the end of his three-month break following knee surgery.
‘I told them that I’m fit and rededicating myself to golf,’ said the world No1. ‘Over the next five years, I really want to leave my stamp on the game.’
The 29-year-old Floridian, winner of four majors during the first act of his career, certainly made an impressive start to the second act with a bogeyfree 66 in the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship yesterday.
As choice examples of ‘remember me?’ go, this one was surely heard halfway round the world in south Florida and the home of Rory McIlroy, who took such bites out of Koepka’s lead in the world rankings during the latter’s absence that there’s now a sliver between them.
With Rory not starting back until next week, there might be a sizeable gap once more come Sunday. ‘I don’t know if this sends out a message, but I know what I want to achieve,’ said Koepka.
‘I expected to play well because I’d seen good signs in practice. You don’t forget how to swing a club just because you haven’t done so for 12 weeks.’
Koepka’s short-game coach, Englishman Pete Cowen, enthused: ‘Brooks told us on Monday that he wants to be the dominant force over the next few years and you can see he’s got that gleam in his eye again.
‘With Rory playing so well, it’s going to be great for the game. You can’t beat a good rivalry, can you?’
You might not forget how to play but it can take a while to regain the competitive edge. Asked for his impressions, Koepka’s playing partner Tommy Fleetwood, who carded a distinctly rust-filled 71, started smiling. ‘He’s good, isn’t he?’ he said. ‘He looked like he’d never been away.’
On the day that stringent slow-play rules were introduced, it seemed appropriate that one of the co-leaders on 64 was Italian Renato Paratore, who might be the quickest player in the game.
He shares top spot with South African Shaun Norris, with Koepka and Australian Jason Scrivener tied third.
One shot further back is Sergio Garcia, who was on his best behaviour after his antics in Saudi Arabia last year, when he petulantly scuffed up several greens and was promptly disqualified from the tournament.
The desert disgrace on that occasion was a delight this time and not even an untidy bogey at his last hole could disturb his tranquil mood.
Now 40, would you believe, he showed how much he still has to offer. No prizes for guessing the main goal this year for the man who has won more Ryder Cup points than any other.
‘I saw Padraig (Harrington, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain) a few days ago and he asked me to make it easy on him by making the team and that’s my goal,’ Garcia said.
‘Even if I don’t, though, I want to play well enough so that it would make it very hard for him not to pick me.’
Defending champion Shane Lowry recovered from an early double bogey to open with a two-under round of 70. After giving away two shots on the third hole of his round, the Offaly man went on to have five birdies and one bogey.