Koepka survives meltdown to defend PGA title
PGA Championship report: What happened on Thursday at Bethpage Black?
Coming into the week all we were told about is how tough and exhausting and punishing Bethpage Black will be – and then Brooks Koepka danced round in a bogey-free 63 shots by lunchtime.
Incredibly Koepka only leads by one after Danny Lee birdied his last two holes, he had eight in total, and the New Zealander left the course ranked top in the Approach The Green – he hit six approaches inside 10 feet– and Putting stats though, strangely given where we’re playing, well down in 135th in driving.
This was his lowest major effort by four shots.
Full PGA Championship leaderboard
Last week’s host Tommy Fleetwood sits at three under while last week’s near winner, Matt Wallace, is at minus one, the same mark as a cluster of strong players who include Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.
To get some of the Koepka stats out of the way he’s the first player to shoot a pair of 63s in the PGA or any major, he also had one last August at Bellerive, with a win he would become the only player to hold back-to-back titles in major history, it’s the lowest opening round by a PGA champion by three shots and he’s the ninth player to open up with a 63 in a major – only two, Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd, have gone on to win.
One of the more pleasing aspects for Koepka was that he was paired with Tiger Woods who dominated the majority of the buzz at the start of the week. Now we have the monotonously brilliant Koepka 10 shots clear of Tiger.
As for Rory he had to wait until the 18th for his sole birdie in a first-round 72.
PGA Championship report: Thursday talking points
Before last week Koepka hadn’t holed a putt of over 25 feet, then he holed three of them at the Byron Nelson. On Thursday at Bethpage he produced an absolute masterclass, bookending his round with huge putts at 10, his opening hole from 40 feet, and 9 to shoot his 63.
An interesting side note to all his heroics is that the American got back with his old putting coach, Jeff Pierce, at The Masters where he came up just shy.
Speaking at the Byron Nelson he said: “Kind of went through a little lull period where I just wasn’t putting very good and even with the 2nd place at Honda, I started work with my old putting coach and figured some things out. Augusta was the first week we started working together. It feels good. I’m happy.”
Not overly revealing but something’s clicked on the greens. He had 25 putts in total and, unlike earlier in the season, they’re dropping from distance which is all fairly ominous.
What a start.
Defending champ @BKoepka sinks a 4️⃣0️⃣-foot birdie putt on his first hole of the day.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/3bw70FaOus
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
**
For the fourth time Tiger Woods opened up with a double-bogey or worse in a major – one of them was Torrey Pines in 2008 – and the Masters champ signed for a 2-0ver 72 after a very mixed round. In total there were two doubles, three bogeys, three birdies, an eagle (more on that later) and the other half pars.
Woods missed the Wednesday at Bethpage and it emerged, without a load of detail, that he had been ill rather than taking some additional rest.
“I wasn’t feeling that good yesterday so I decided to stay home and rest. I got a little bit sick, so I decided to stay home.”
He added that he felt fine on Thursday.
**
This was probably the least talked about career Grand Slam chance in major history given how ordinary Jordan Spieth has become in recent times but there will be a bit more after he got going with a 69.
He’s had to answer all manner of questions about his form but this was all a lot more measured and his putting from close range and anywhere on the green looked rock solid. Spieth covered his front nine in two under but then doubled 10 and bogeyed 12 but, to his great credit, he fashioned two birdies in his last three holes to break par.
**
One of the strangest sights all day was of John Daly tootling about the place like something out of Driving Miss Daisy. A few players raised an eyebrow after Daly was given special dispensation to ride the buggy instead of walking due to a knee problem.
In the end he got it around, both the buggy and his game along with an horrific pair of trousers, and, though he had nothing worse than a bogey, there were five of them and no birdies in his 75.
**
Graeme McDowell is generally one of the most interesting speakers in the game and he had a nice line on the set-up of the course.
“I think it’s a US Open setup. I think if you pinched the fairways in maybe another three feet, four feet on each side, you’d have a US Open. I think that’s the only difference. They’re probably slightly more generous that the USGA would have them, but only very, very slightly. It’s an intimidating test off the tee. You have to drive the eyes out of it. The guy who wins this week, he’ll be top 10 in Total Driving.”
PGA Championship report: Best quote
Tiger on playing partner Koepka:
He hit a couple loose tee shots that ended up in good spots but I think that was probably the highest score he could have shot. It could have easily been a couple better.
PGA Championship report: Best stat
Tale of two opening stretches, depending on your draw:
Field score to par today
Holes 1-3: +35
Holes 10-12: +116— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 16, 2019
PGA Championship report: Best tweet
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) May 16, 2019
PGA Championship report: Best moments
?
?
Par
?@TigerWoods just flipped the switch.pic.twitter.com/wCNCvPHnhZ— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
Just @PhilMickelson and his New York fans.pic.twitter.com/JXrFQhRU1e
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
Wrapping up his first nine in style.
From the fairway bunker, @RickieFowler walks away with ?.pic.twitter.com/FhVQMjeCwc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
What a display of touch.@DJohnsonPGA gets into red numbers.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/q1Mh6D431A
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
The largest 18-hole lead in PGA Championship history is three.@BKoepka is up by four.#LiveUnderParpic.twitter.com/SYcg2W3EO7
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 16, 2019
Roll on Friday.
Keep up to date with all the action from Bethpage with NCG’s dedicated PGA Championship website as well as on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mark Townsend
Been watching and playing golf since the early 80s and generally still stuck in this period. Huge fan of all things Robert Rock, less so white belts. Handicap of 8, fragile mind and short game
