KOEPKA SHINES THANKS TO LOCAL HERO

THE world’s top golfer walked among the people of Northern Ireland yesterday, accompanied by one of their own. Brooks Koepka had not just a caddie but a mascot in Portrush’s Ricky Elliott, yet still there was curiously little buzz around the man who has won three of golf’s biggest prizes from the last six available. All was relatively sedate as he played alongside Shubhankar Sharma and Louis Oosthuizen. Once he and local boy Elliott had moved past the throngs lining the first fairway, this seemed much like any other threesome. Meanwhile, Koepka’s devotees on social media were, not for the first time, wondering why television was virtually ignoring their hero. Only when he gained a share of the lead after a superb long iron and putt on the par-four 14th did the cameras start showing more interest. This might have been a round when he garnered more attention, if only for the fact that his caddie knows every grain of sand on the beach, let alone every blade of the grass on this golf course. There is also the fact that the Open is the one tournament that has so far proved elusive for the 29-year-old American, whose major finishes have gone 1-2-1-2 since Carnoustie a year ago. Tied sixth remains his best in this event, but after a largely immaculate round, he is well placed to improve on that, especially with Elliott on hand. ‘It’s easy when he’s just standing on the tee telling you to hit it in this spot and I just listen to him,’ said Koepka. ‘I don’t have to think much, my caddie knows it all.’ How many shots had local knowledge helped him with? ‘Sixty-eight of them,’ he smiled. Koepka may have arms like Popeye but he showed beautiful touch in his chipping, resulting in a start of three-under, which suggests he may be unavoidably centre of attention on Sunday.