EURO STAR TO MAJOR
Koepka’s brought it home
BROOKS KOEPKA has revealed the secret behind his US Open triumph – playing and winning on the European Tour.
Koepka claimed his first Major after equalling the US Open’s lowest winning score of 16-under par to match the record set six years ago by Rory McIlroy.
Following his four-shot victory in the early hours of Monday ® from PETER LAING morning, Koepka became the seventh successive first-time Major champion.
But the American signposted his time in Europe, which brought victories in Spain, Italy, Scotland and Turkey, as instrumental in his success.
Koepka, 27, said: “Going over to play the Challenge Tour was really, really cool. Competing in Europe helped me grow up a little bit and really figure out that I could really take this somewhere.
Accident
“Winning three Challenge Tour events and also winning the Turkish Airlines Open meant I built a lot of confidence. “So to win my first Major in the United States is pretty special.” Koepka’s breakthrough came in September 2012 on the European Tour’s secondary Challenge Tour when he won in Spain just three months after turning pro. Three years later, and with grounding complete, he returned home to join the PGA Tour.
He added: “I love travelling. I’ll go anywhere. And some of the places we went to were pretty neat. I’d love to get a map and look at all the places I’ve won.”
Koepka, a member of last year’s victorious Ryder Cup team, came to golf by accident – literally.
A car smash at the age of 10 left him with a fractured sinus cavity and orders from doctors not to play contact sports that summer.
Instead, he headed for the golf course and enrolled on a junior programme which set him en route to banking £1.6m at Erin Hills, catapulting him into the world’s top 10 for the first time.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood was unable to keep pace with playing partner Koepka, carding a final-round 72 to end the tournament in fourth on 11 under.
The 26-year-old from Southport said: “He was brilliant. The shots he hit down the stretch... you can’t describe how hard some of them are.
“I would have like to have played like that.”
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama posted 66 to tie for second on 12 under alongside Brian Harman.