Brooks Koepka tied for 4th at U.S. Open
Defending champion ties for Friday’s low round despite two early bogeys.
The defending champ and West Palm Beach native is at 1 over par, five shots off the lead, after a second-round 66.
If any of his fellow competitors were foolish enough to think Brooks Koepka was going to relinquish his U.S. Open trophy without a fight this week at Shinnecock Hills, they were wrong.
The West Palm Beach native and Cardinal Newman graduate went on a birdie barrage on his closing 11 holes Friday and in the process went from flirting with the cut line to positioning himself for a run at a repeat this weekend in Southampton, N.Y.
Koepka likes where he stands heading into the weekend.
“There’s nobody more confident here than me,” Koepka told the New York Post after his second round. “I feel like I’m playing really well. Just need to continue what we’re doing.
“I feel like I’ve got some momentum on my side. Obviously, with finishing with six birdies (overall), I played really solid.”
Koepka, who started his day on the back nine after an opening-round 75 and made two early bogeys, birdied Nos. 17, 18, 1, 3, 5 and 8 to get to 1 over par through 36 holes and tied for fourth place. He is five shots behind leader Dustin Johnson, the
world’s No. 1-ranked player who is at 4 under. Koepka’s 66 tied Tommy Fleetwood (also Friday) for best round of the tournament.
Koepka, who won his first major last year at Erin Hills, is trying to become the first back-to-back U.S. Open champion since Curtis Strange in 1988-89.
Koepka’s birdies came after making a bogey on the 476-yard, par-4 12th and the 360-yard, par-4 13th, two miscues that temporarily dropped him to 7 over par and pushed him closer to the projected cutline.
Koepka, who also played at Florida State, started his run with a brilliant tee shot on the 169-yard, par-3 17, hitting his ball to 5 feet and making the putt. At the 490yard, par-4 18th, he hit his approach shot to inside 12 feet, made the putt and was off and running.
Another strong tee shot left him 140 yards from the hole on the 411-yard, par-4 first and his approach shot was all over the hole, setting up a short birdie. Continuing to follow the proven U.S. Open path to success of driving accuracy, Koepka was straight off the tee again on the 499-yard, par-4 third hole, made another strong approach shot and a 9-foot birdie putt. He reached the green on the 583-yard, par-5 fifth hole in two and twoputted from 60 feet, the last one coming from just over 11 feet.
He capped his run with a 294-yard drive on the 448yard, par-4 eighth hole, an approach shot to 13½ feet and a birdie putt.
For his round, Koepka hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
Even with Johnson four shots clear of the field, Koepka still believes the tournament is wide open.
“It’s a U.S. Open, so disaster’s always around the corner,” Koepka told the New York Post. “You never know what’s going to happen. You just keep putting the ball in play, hitting greens and try to sneak in a few birdies when you can.
“Obviously, you need a good round (today) just to give yourself a chance. You know, anything within three shots of the lead on the back nine Sunday, anything can happen.”