Brooks Koepka: New world No. 1 is built to stay on top

Brooks Koepka rose to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking with his four-shot victory Sunday at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. Here’s why he might just get comfortable atop the sport.

Brooks Koepka has finally realized his potential. Well, most of it, that is.

Koepka did on Sunday what he has done so many times over the last two years. He overpowered the field at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, firing a masterful final-round 64 to win by four shots. It was as much of a cruise as you can possibly expect when the runner-up shoots nine-under (Gary Woodland’s 63), and the third-place finisher goes even lower (Ryan Palmer shot 10-under 62).

When the final putt dropped, Koepka not only won his third title of the 2018 calendar year, but he cemented his place at the top of the world ranking, leapfrogging both Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson in the process.

Oh, did I remember to mention that he did all this after missing the better part of four months with a wrist injury that cost him a start at the Masters? Of course, he made the most of the three other majors, winning his second straight U.S. Open in June, and holding off a hard-charging Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship at Bellerive.

At this point, you probably already know all you need to about where Koepka came from, going from a three-time All-American at Florida State to taking on the European Challenge Tour to begin his pro career. But what you need to know now is that Koepka isn’t just ready to stand among today’s young guns. He’s primed to be a power on the PGA TOUR for years to come.

Koepka has often – rightfully – commented on the lack of media coverage he gets. But in many ways, for all the press requests that the Jordan Spieths and Rory McIlroys of the world take on, Koepka has been allowed to battle to the top in relative quiet.

He’s developed a game that is all but unbeatable when he’s on form. Dustin Johnson rose to No. 1 with sheer brute force, but he’s never ranked higher than 30th in strokes gained putting. Spieth is largely the opposite, with a putting stroke that is magic to watch when he’s in a groove.

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Koepka is no magician with the flat stick, but what he does have is a remarkable touch around the greens that allows him to save pars when many would make bogey or worse. He ranked ninth on TOUR in scrambling for the 2017-18 season, at 64.35 percent. That’s the type of trait that wins majors – avoiding giving strokes back when it means the most.

At the PGA, Koepka made four bogeys and one double for the entire week. Woods, who lost by two, made seven bogeys and one double. That’s how close we came to celebrating Tiger’s 15th career major victory instead of Koepka’s third.

That’s what Koepka has cultivated over the years working from the Challenge Tour to the PGA TOUR. A well-rounded approach backed by an unshakable will. Even the specter of arguably the greatest player of all time didn’t shake Koepka when it counted the most.

In the bigger picture, that’s what made Koepka the PGA TOUR Player of the Year for 2018, and it’s what can keep him on top for a long time to come.

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There’s more turmoil than ever atop the world rankings. Koepka is the third player to hold the No. 1 spot in 2018, and he will certainly be challenged as the new season begins, in earnest in 2019.

However, he’s no flash-in-the-pan, overnight sensation. Brooks Koepka is the real deal, and whether there’s a microphone in his face 24/7 or not, he’ll continue to handle his business where it matters, between the ropes.

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