TIGER IS SO CLOSE TO GLORY ...AGAIN
But Koepka holds his nerve to deny Woods a 15th major
On a day of breathless excitement orchestrated by the wonder of Tiger Woods, fellow American Brooks Koepka withstood a crescendo of noise and incredible golf from the 14-time major champion to write his name into the game’s history books last night.
The 28-year-old shot 66 to follow up his victory in the US open in June with a marvellous two-stroke success over Woods — who concluded with a 64 — in the 100th USPGA Championship at Bellerive.
In so doing, Koepka became just the fifth man to achieve this notable double and, given the other four went by the surnames of Sarazen, Hogan, nicklaus and Woods, that’s the company he has now joined.
This was Koepka’s third major success from the last six in which he has played — he missed the Masters in April with a wrist injury — and the most impressive.
If we thought it admirable the way he kept his nerve to beat Tommy Fleetwood at Shinnecock Hills when the Englishman was shooting 63 to equal the record low score in US open history, this was on another level altogether.
By his side, Koepka watched his playing partner Adam Scott — who would eventually finish third — birdie six out of eight holes in the middle of his round to catch him.
His response was a pair of iron shots out of the top drawer on the 15th and 16th holes to go two in front again. All year we’ve marvelled at Woods’ comeback and the manner in which he has added piece after piece to reassemble his game.
This, however, was one of those sporting moments it was simply a privilege to witness.
To think, they waited all this time to watch Tiger in the Gateway City and they could well spend just as long talking about it.
As if 66-66 wasn’t good enough to be going on with on Saturday, the 42-year-old delivered a round that defied belief, logic, you name it.
How can you hit no fairways out of seven on the front nine and still walk to the 10th tee having played just 32 shots?
We could dwell on the flaws regarding the layout but you can be sure the 75,000 people who witnessed it would rather dwell on the smoke and mirrors from Woods that sent excitement levels completely off the charts.
There were also mesmerising iron shots that resulted in tap-in birdies at the second and third that got his round off to the ideal start.
Thereafter, it was all about the indefatigable will of perhaps the greatest player the game has ever seen and a peerless putting stroke that has defied the agonies and long passage of time.
Eight one-putts in a row he had after missing from 6ft at the first to send Bellerive into bedlam.
But that was merely the start. At the 11th, a birdie putt from 20ft stopped on the edge. How did the roars of the crowd not cause it to topple in?
no matter. Woods birdied the 12th and 13th. As every putt dropped, they registered it on the leaderboard at the 18th to send that area crazy as well.
At times, the entire 200 acres appeared to be jumping. It looked curtains when a par putt horseshoed agonisingly out at the 14th but back came Woods with a tap-on birdie at the 15th. Back to one behind. Back to bedlam.
It says everything about Koepka’s character that he withstood all this for a deserved victory.
There was not a drop of sweat on his shirt despite the baking temperatures and not a drop on his brow. As cool as a Koepka, indeed.
But there was still one more moment of magic from Woods. A 20ft-birdie putt at the 18th, and you can guess the rest.
one more glorious fist pump from Woods and while he didn’t win on this day, he now knows that he’s still got it, and that he will win again.
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton signed off an encouraging year in the majors with a fine 64 of his own for a top-ten finish. While Scotland’s russell Knox finished the tournament with a 68 to finish on four under.
Fleetwood also signed off with a 68 for tied 36th place.
‘The bottom line is that I had the best result of my career in all four majors, so I’ve got to be happy with that,’ said the 27-year-old Englishman.