Brooks Koepka is not only true for the bookies in Las Vegas as the big favorite for this Thursday in San Francisco at the beginning of the end of 102. PGA Championship. It is much to say actually, that the 30-year-old Americans with a victory in the Triple or “three-peat”, as the Americans call it,. Because this would not only be since last autumn, with pain in the left knee.
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The title of defender should be possible to test what since 1958, since this Major changed from match play to stroke play, not to be a professional golfer, and in public spaces, namely, for the third Time in a row, the Wanamaker-to take the winner’s trophy at the end of the four days home. To find the most recent series winner at this since 1916, held a tradition of the tournament, you have to look for a long time. From 1924 to 1927, won the Walter “The Haig” Hagen (1892-1969) four times in a row. In addition, Koepka had to many lay bodies of sport in the shade. Neither Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods could still leave at a Major three times in a row the competition behind.
And yet: Koepka feels for this task well-prepared. “I have already once done, to win three Majors in a row. I know how to deal with it. I’ve played at Pebble Beach very well. Someone has just defeated,“ said Koepka, the week after his Victories at the US Open in 2017 and 2018 in the previous year, just on the Triple over and behind his compatriot Gary Woodland in second place. The current US Open Champion and Irishman Shane Lowry, winner of the British Open in 2019, will go early in the morning on the public square of Harding Park – named after the 29. The President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, as Tradition dictates, on the first round.
twist
While Koepkas players, only the Outside given a chance, he has brought especially last weekend at the WGC-FedEx-St. Jude tournament in Memphis (Tennessee) back in the game – a surprising turn. After he had failed two weeks ago at the 3M Open for the second Time on the Cut, practiced Koepka intensively with his Coach Pete Cowan. He also booked hours in English Putting Guru Phil Kenyon. These training sessions were effective: He played to kick off with 62 blows his best round on the PGA Tour, marched the Ball fantastically safe into the hole and is awarded the victory by a blow into the water on the last hole.
As his compatriot Justin Thomas, who played the first two rounds in San Francisco, together with Tiger Woods was back, for the second Time to the top of the world rankings, a Position Koepka since 2018, a total of 47 weeks held. With his victory on Sunday, he could return from the sixth place on the throne, and thus once again underline the fact that no-one in four tradition tournaments plays as well as he.
a focus on the US Open
In the last twelve Majors, Koepka played with a total of 70 under Par, by far the best. His closest pursuer, his compatriot Rickie Fowler, who is still waiting for his first Triumph in one of the four season-the cornerstone, followed with a 34-under-Par, by a large margin. Koepka can trust in addition to an exceptional record: He’s won more Majors (four) than regular tournaments on the PGA Tour (three times).
