The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Albatross has Koepka flying
PLAYERS: US Open champion soars up leaderboard with closing 63
US Open champion Brooks Koepka equalled the course record at Sawgrass thanks to just the second albatross on the 16th in Players Championship history.
Koepka had already carded five birdies when he holed his second shot with a six iron from 208 yards on the parfive 16th and followed that with another two on the next on his way to a nineunder-par 63.
The 28-year-old, who is playing just his fourth event of the season due to a wrist injury, is the eighth player to card a 63 at Sawgrass, with tournament leader Webb Simpson doing so in the second round.
At 19 under par, Simpson held a record seven-shot lead over New Zealand’s Danny Lee going into the final round, with Koepka setting the early clubhouse target on 11 under.
Lee birdied the second and third holes to close the gap but Simpson remained five clear at the turn despite following a birdie at the seventh with a bogey.
“It was one of those professional pushes,” Koepka admitted on PGA Tour Live. “You’re aiming a little left of the flag and you push it right on the flag and to be honest we couldn’t tell where it landed, then everybody started screaming.
“You’re not sure if it’s just because it landed close but then the roars kept going so we figured it went in. “I’ll definitely take two there. “To go two, two is pretty special. 17 has had my number for a long time and I feel like we’re always hitting balls in the water there so to get a two out of it is pretty nice.”
Koepka was forced to miss the Masters due to the injury to his left wrist, which he tweaked on Wednesday when stopping mid-swing after someone drove a cart in front of him on the practice range.
“Yesterday it was a bit sore but it feels good today and finishing with 63 makes it feel a little better,” Koepka added.
“There’s nobody more excited to be here than me. To get back out it felt like it took forever. The days were very long during that four-month period and it was refreshing to be outside and start practising.”
Scotland’s Martin Laird finished at four under after a closing 71.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia was level par after he added a disappointing 75 to Saturday’s 76.