Phoenix Open: Does This Mean Brooks Koepka is Back?

Brooks Koepka had a magical week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He won for the eighth time on the PGA Tour with a 65 on Sunday.

But does this mean that Koepka is back? Let’s examine.

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Koepka produced his first top five finish since he tied for fifth at the Houston Open in November. He followed that with a T7 at the Masters.

Since that time, Koepka has had more than his share of struggles. He finished the 2020 calendar year by shooting 71-71 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and missing the cut. From there, he took more than a month off to continue to rehab his injuries and to rest his body.

When he came back to the tour in January, Koepka continued to struggle. At the American Express, he shot 72 on Thursday and 71 on Friday to miss the cut.

Then last week, at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Koepka looked out of sorts again.

He opened with a 72 on Thursday at the event. However, he followed that with a 76 on Friday and, at 4-over par, he missed his third cut in a row.

So, his season, prior to this week, had consisted of a T28 (CJ Cup at Shadow Creek), the T5 at Houston, the T7 at the Masters and three missed cuts.

Koepka entered this week at 73rd in the FedEx Cup standings. Not exactly the spot where a player ranked 13th in the world should be. But, it’s still early in the season.

So, does Koepka’s result at Phoenix mean that he is back?

It’s hard to say that the four-time major winner is back based on one week of play. Plus, this is a site where Koepka has won before (in 2015) so it’s obviously a course that fits his eye and it’s a place he likes to play.

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When you take the entire picture of Koepka’s season, combined with how last season ended for him, it’s time to pump the brakes on him being back just yet. This week’s result is a positive one for Koepka, but he needs to continue to show that he can produce results more consistently and at courses where he does not have a strong history.

While he may not be fully back, it was good to see Koepka in contention in Phoenix this week.

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