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2019 Brooks Koepka Retains US

22nd,

May

| PGA Championship Title
EXAMINER rooks Koepka survived an last day at a blustery Bethpage. give Koepka the breathing

space he so desperately needed.
unexpectedly nerve-racking
No player has ever surren-
To his credit, Koepka vitally
IRISH Bfinal round to defend his US dered such a lead in a major found the fairway on both the
PGAChampionshiptitleandclaim
after 54 holes and the 29-year-
old remained six clear with
a remarkable fourth major victory
difficult 15th and 16th holes and
inhislasteightstarts. eight to play, but bogeyed the had the luxury of dropping a
Koepka had followed a next four holes to allow good shot on the 17th before com-
course record of 63 on friend Dustin Johnson to close pleting a closing 74 to finish
Thursday with a second round within a single shot. eight under, two shots ahead of
of 65 to set the lowest halfway However, with the raucous Johnson.
total in major championship New York crowd now chanting England’s Matt Wallace was
history and took a tournament- his name, Johnson dropped four shots further back in a
record seven-shot lead into the shots on the 16th and 17th to share of third place with Jordan

Spieth and Patrick Cantlay, putting from long range.
with Rory McIlroy and Shane A third straight bogey meant
Lowry among a tie for eighth his lead was down to three and
on one over. minutes later it was just two as
Koepka will replace Johnson Johnson holed from 11 feet for
as world number one on birdie on the 15th.
Monday and with the US PGA Koepka’s mind was scram-
moving from August to May bled by this point and his tee
this year, he is the first player to shot on the 14th flew fully 15
hold back-to-back titles in two yards over the green as a com-
majors at the same time follow- bination of adrenaline and a
ing his US Open wins in 2017 possible drop in the wind struck
and 2018. at the most inopportune
Birdies on the fourth, sixth moment.
and ninth had taken Johnson to With a fourth bogey in a
the turn in 32 and reduced the row Koepka’s lead was down to
gap to four, Koepka having a single shot but he got the help
made a poor start with a bogey he needed when Johnson was
on the first before reducing the unable to save par from over
par-five fourth to a drive and an the 16th green and another
eight-iron to set up a two-putt bogey on the 17th effectively
birdie. ended his chances.
With Johnson about to drop After finishing runner-up in
a shot on the 11th, Koepka the Masters last month,
struck what looked to be the Johnson has now finished sec-
killer blow with a stunning ond in all four majors with his
approach to the 10th to set up a sole success coming in the 2016
tap-in birdie and restore a six- US Open.
stroke cushion, although he Speaking at the trophy pres-
had to hole from six feet on the entation, Koepka said: “I’m just
next to avoid a double bogey. glad we didn’t have to play any
Another bogey on the 12th more holes, that was a stressful
saw the lead trimmed to four round of golf.
shots again and Koepka was for- “The wind was up, DJ
tunate to get away with a wild (Johnson) played awesome and
drive on the 13th which fin- he put the pressure on. I’m glad
ished on a trampled down to have this thing (the
patch of grass where the specta- Wanamaker Trophy) back in
tors had been walking. my hands.
However, he failed to find “It’s incredible. I don’t even
the fairway with his recovery know if I dreamed of this. This
and came up short of the green is cool. I am still in shock right
with his third shot before three- now, this is awesome.” C