Koepka’s younger brother set to Chase his victory in SSE Scottish Challenge

Brooks Koepka’s younger brother is heading back to Aviemore next week as he continues to follow in the footsteps of the new US Open champion on the Challenge Tour.

Last year’s SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley, where Brooks won in 2013 to secure instant promotion to the European Tour, marked Chase Koepka’s debut on the second-tier circuit. He missed the cut on that occasion following rounds of 76 and 79 but, 12 months on, the 23-year-old is starting to find his feet in the paid ranks, where he had a hard act to follow even before his big brother became a major winner with his impressive four-shot success at Erin Hills on Sunday.

Chase tied for third in the recent Swiss Challenge, having had his first taste of playing on the PGA Tour earlier this year when he joined forces with Brooks in the new team format for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April. “Brooks has given me lots of good advice about coming over here,” said Chase before last year’s event in the Highlands.

“My ambition is to do something like what he did. I’m over here to learn how to play professional golf and just enjoy the experience.”

He was back home in Florida as Brooks won in Wisconsin. “It was awesome,” added Koepka jnr, pictured. “I was sitting at home watching it with my family and it was something special to see him win. We were screaming at the TV – I think we were more nervous than he was.” Robert Macintyre, last year’s beaten finalist, heaved a sigh of relief as he was among five Scots in the Walker Cup squad and eight in total to make the match-play phase in the Amateur Championship in Kent.

The Glencruitten left-hander scraped through on the qualifying mark after making two crucial birdies in the final six holes of his second round at Prince’s and then surviving an agonising seven-hour wait.

Drumoig’s Connor Syme