Brooks Koepka
| Brooks Koepka | |
|---|---|
 Koepka in a 2016 Nike promotional video | |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
May 3, 1990 West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 186 lb (84 kg; 13.3 st) |
| Nationality |
 |
| Residence | Jupiter, Florida |
| Career | |
| College | Florida State University |
| Turned professional | 2012 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Former tour(s) |
European Tour Challenge Tour |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 4 |
| European Tour | 4 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 2 |
| Challenge Tour | 4 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 3) | |
| Masters Tournament | T11: 2017 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 2017, 2018 |
| The Open Championship | T6: 2017 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 2018 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year | 2014 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 2018 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year | 2018 |
Brooks Koepka (born May 3, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Ranked as high as second in the Official World Golf Ranking, he started his career on the European Challenge Tour and eventually the European Tour. He played collegiate golf at Florida State University.
Koepka claimed his first major championship at the U.S. Open in 2017 at Erin Hills, Wisconsin.[1][2] He successfully defended his title in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, the first golfer to win consecutive U.S. Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988 and 1989. He won his third major at the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, shooting a major-championship-record-tying 264 over 72 holes. His 2018 victories in the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship were the first instance of that double since Tiger Woods in 2000.
Early years and amateur career
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Koepka was raised in Lake Worth, and attended Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. He played college golf at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he won three events and was a three-time All-American.[3] He qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open as an amateur, but missed the cut by six strokes.[4]
Professional career
In the summer of 2012, Koepka turned professional and began playing on the Challenge Tour in Europe. He won his first title in September at the Challenge de Catalunya.[5]
In 2013, he had his second victory on the Challenge Tour, winning the 2013 Montecchia Golf Open.[6] He followed this a month later with his third win, the Fred Olsen Challenge de España, where he set the tournament record, 260 (−24), and won by a record 10 strokes.[7]
Three weeks later, he had his third win of the year at the Scottish Hydro Challenge. With those three wins, he earned his European Tour card for the remainder of the 2013 season and for the full 2014 season.[8] The day after his third Challenge Tour win of 2013, Koepka qualified for the 2013 Open Championship. Koepka made his debut as a member of the European Tour (he played in three events prior to promotion to membership) at the Scottish Open, finishing T12.[9]
In his first event of the 2014 PGA Tour, Koepka led after the second and third rounds of the Frys.com Open. He finished tied for third. At the U.S. Open, he collected a fourth-place finish, which earned him his PGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season and his first Masters invitation. He was 15th at the PGA Championship, and was nominated for the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.[10]
On the 2014 European Tour, Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open and finished third at the Dubai Desert Classic and Omega European Masters, and ninth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He ranked 8th in the 2014 Race to Dubai rankings and was named the European Tour's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.[11]
On February 1, 2015, Koepka won his first PGA Tour event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open[12] and moved to 19th in the Official World Golf Ranking.[13]
At the 2015 Open Championship, Koepka improved every day and a final round 68 vaulted him into a tie for 10th at the Old Course at St Andrews. The next week, Koepka was tied for fourth after 54 holes at the RBC Canadian Open but a final round 74 pushed him down to a tie for 18th at the Glen Abbey Golf Course. He then tied for 6th at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and tied for 5th at the 2015 PGA Championship. In 2015, he chose to give up his European Tour membership.[14]
In 2017, Koepka won his first major championship by claiming the U.S. Open title at Erin Hills, Wisconsin.[2] His win tied him for the record of the lowest U.S. Open score at 16 under (tied with Rory McIlroy's 2011 record).[15]
Koepka had to undergo wrist surgery after the 2017 season and had hoped that his recuperation would be complete in time for the 2018 Masters Tournament but he had to withdraw, saying that he was only 80% fit.[16] He recovered to successfully defend his U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills, becoming the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to win consecutive U.S. Open titles, which has occurred only seven times.[17] He won his third major at the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club.[18]
At the 2018 Ryder Cup, an errant tee shot by Koepka struck a female spectator and caused her right eye to explode resulting in permanent blindness.[19][20] Also at the Ryder Cup, it was rumored that Koepka and teammate Dustin Johnson got into a feud over some personal issues but Koepka denied these claims saying "This Dustin thing I don't get, There is no fight, no argument, he's one of my best friends. I love the kid to death and we talked on the phone Monday and yesterday and he told me how he thought. People like to make a story and run with it. It's not the first time there's been a news story that isn't true that has gone out."[21]
Personal life
Koepka's younger brother, Chase, is also a professional golfer.[22]
Koepka was in a relationship with professional soccer player Becky Edwards, but they broke up when Edwards returned to Sweden in 2017 to play professional soccer.[23] At the 2017 U.S. Open it was announced that Koepka is dating actress Jena Sims.[24]
Amateur wins (4)
- 2009 Rice Planters Amateur
- 2011 Brickyard Collegiate
- 2012 Seminole Intercollegiate, Florida Atlantic Intercollegiate
Professional wins (11)
PGA Tour wins (4)
| Legend |
| Major championships (3) |
| Other PGA Tour events (1) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 1, 2015 | Waste Management Phoenix Open | 71-68-64-66=269 | −15 | 1 stroke |  |
| 2 | Jun 18, 2017 | U.S. Open | 67-70-68-67=272 | −16 | 4 strokes | |
| 3 | Jun 17, 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | 75-66-72-68=281 | +1 | 1 stroke |  |
| 4 | Aug 12, 2018 | PGA Championship | 69-63-66-66=264 | −16 | 2 strokes | |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016 | AT&T Byron Nelson |  |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
European Tour wins (4)
| Legend |
| Major championships (3) |
| Race to Dubai finals series (1) |
| Other European Tour (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 16, 2014 | Turkish Airlines Open | −17 (69-67-70-65=271) | 1 stroke | |
| 2 | Jun 18, 2017 | U.S. Open | −16 (67-70-68-67=272) | 4 strokes | |
| 3 | Jun 17, 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | +1 (75-66-72-68=281) | 1 stroke | |
| 4 | Aug 12, 2018 | PGA Championship | −16 (69-63-66-66=264) | 2 strokes | |
Challenge Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 30, 2012 | Challenge de Catalunya | −16 (68-67-65=200) | 3 strokes |  |
| 2 | May 5, 2013 | Montecchia Golf Open | −23 (66-67-62-66=261) | 7 strokes | |
| 3 | Jun 2, 2013 | Fred Olsen Challenge de España | −24 (64-66-64-66=260) | 10 strokes |   |
| 4 | Jun 23, 2013 | Scottish Hydro Challenge | −18 (70-66-62-68=266) | 3 strokes |  |
Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 20, 2016 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | −21 (65-70-63-65=263) | 1 stroke | |
| 2 | Nov 19, 2017 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (2) | −20 (65-68-64-67=264) | 9 strokes |  |
Major championships
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | −16 (67-70-68-67=272) | 4 strokes | |
| 2018 | U.S. Open (2) | Tied for lead | +1 (75-66-72-68=281) | 1 stroke | |
| 2018 | PGA Championship | 2 shot lead | −16 (69-63-66-66=264) | 2 strokes | |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T33 | T21 | T11 | ||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T4 | T18 | T13 | 1 | 1 | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T67 | T10 | T6 | T39 | ||
| PGA Championship | T70 | T15 | T5 | T4 | T13 | 1 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Totals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 18 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 18 (2013 PGA – 2018 PGA, current)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico Championship | T17 | T23 | T48 | |
| Match Play | T17 | QF | R16 | |
| Bridgestone Invitational | T6 | WD | T17 | 5 |
| HSBC Champions | T40 | T2 |
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
WD = Withdrew
"T" = Tied
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 2016 (winners), 2018
- Presidents Cup: 2017 (winners)
See also
References
- ↑ "Brooks Koepka's Sunday in 2 Minutes". USGA. June 18, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- 1 2 Martin, Sean (June 18, 2017). "Late surge lifts Koepka to major triumph". PGA Tour. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Brooks Koepka". Seminoles.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ↑ "U.S. Open Golf Championship (June 14 - 17, 2012): Leaderboard". ESPN. June 17, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ↑ "American Koepka claims maiden Challenge Tour victory". PGA European Tour. September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Koepka proves his star potential with swashbuckling Montecchia Golf Open win". Daily Mail. May 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Record-breaker Brooks enters history books". PGA European Tour. June 2, 2013.
- ↑ "With This Win – Brooks Koepka". PGA European Tour. June 23, 2013.
- ↑ "Brooks Koepka – Results – 2013". PGA European Tour.
- ↑ "McIlroy voted 2013-14 PGA Tour Player of the Year; Hadley named top rookie". PGA Tour. October 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Koepka named 2014 European Tour Rookie of the Year". PGA European Tour. November 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Koepka earns 1st PGA Tour win". ESPN. Associated Press. February 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Week 5: Koepka Breaks Into The Top 20". Official World Golf Ranking. February 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Notes: Koepka gives up European Tour membership". PGA Tour. Associated Press. October 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Koepka captures first major, ties U.S. Open record". PGA Tour. Associated Press. June 18, 2017.
- ↑ Ballengee, Ryan. "Brooks Koepka to miss the 2018 Masters recovering from wrist injury". Golf News Net. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ↑ Murray, Ewan (June 18, 2018). "Brooks Koepka makes history in holding off Fleetwood to retain US Open title". The Guardian. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ↑ Murray, Ewan (August 13, 2018). "Brooks Koepka's nerveless display denies Tiger Woods fairytale victory". The Guardian. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ↑ Zauzmer, Emily (October 2, 2018). "Golf Fan Loses Sight After Ball Hits Her at Ryder Cup: It Was an 'Explosion of the Eyeball'". People.
- ↑ "Euro Tour to help fan who has lost vision from ball strike". MSN. Associated Press. October 2, 2018.
- ↑ "Brooks Koepka denies fight with Dustin Johnson, calls injury to spectator 'one of my worst days'". ESPN. October 3, 2018.
- ↑ Huggan, John (June 28, 2017). "Chase Koepka hopes Challenge Tour experience can pay off the same way it did for big brother Brooks". Golf Digest. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ↑ Diaz, Jamie (December 22, 2015). "The Buzz on Brooks Koepka". Golf Digest.
- ↑ "U.S. Open Champ Brooks Koepka: My GF'S a Beauty Queen". tmz.com. June 19, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
External links
- Brooks Koepka at the European Tour official site
- Brooks Koepka at the PGA Tour official site
- Brooks Koepka at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
Brooks Koepka in the Ryder Cup | |||||||||||||||||
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