Brooks no argument but the US Open was not golf at times
BROOKS KOEPKA wrote his name in lights at a US Open littered with enough sub plots to last the summer.
At times, it felt as if Shinnecock Hills was the capital of a parallel golfing universe.
Parched greens and tough pin positions played havoc, with no players under par heading into the final round.
Zach Johnson feared the destiny of the second major of the year risked coming down to “sheer luck”, while Butch Harmon declared: “It’s just not golf ”. Hard to argue.
Koepka branded the third round a “grind”, but toughed it out on Sunday to fend off a flying Tommy Fleetwood and become just the third player since 1945 to defend the title.
If his maiden major at last year’s US Open was memorable, this win was more noteworthy in the wake of the lowest point of his career.
Don’t forget, Koepka missed the Masters with a painful wrist injury which forced him to wear a cast, while Shinnecock was only his sixth outing of 2018.
To not hit a golf ball in anger from January to April and perform the way he has in recent weeks is remarkable.
But I believe being forced to watch a lot of golf from his sofa at the start of the year actually benefited him. An enforced rest from the practice range allowed him to reprogramme his mind and refocus his desire to make an impact when he returned.
He was ready for the heat of battle and trusted his game. On Friday, he was 11 shots behind Dustin Johnson, but didn’t panic. Koepka is a superb striker of the ball, but he also has it between the ears. How he processed the adversity of Shinnecock was key to his success. He merits his place in history alongside the likes of Curtis Strange (1988 and 1989) and Ben Hogan (1950 and 1951), who also won the US Open back-to-back.
While Koepka hit the heights, it was a week to forget for Rory Mcilroy after he missed the cut.
I fear Rory is trying too hard to be perfect for the majors and it’s having a negative impact.
Top players feel these events define them and it weighs heavily on the mind.
Just look how Dustin Johnson’s errant putting cost him in the final two rounds.
Rory is struggling in the wind but only because he is trying to be too precise. Sometimes you have to forget about your swing and focus on hitting shots.
His A-game remains the best on the circuit.
If he trusts his instincts, plays aggressively and takes chances, he can still have a big summer.