2021 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka in Hunt Through 18 Holes
By Tim Letcher
Brooks Koepka has had an up-and-down season throughout the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. This week, at the 2021 PGA Championship, that trend appears to be ready to continue.
Koepka, who has either been at or near the top of the leader board, or not in contention at all, chose the former on Thursday. And by doing so, he finds himself in the mix at a major that he’s already won twice during his career.
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Things did not start well for Koepka on this day. Playing the back nine first, he got into trouble on the 10th hole, eventually making a double bogey. He was 2-over through one hole.
However, Koepka started his comeback on the very next hole, recording a birdie on the par-5 11th hole. After a par on the 12th, Koepka birdied the par-4 13th hole to get back to even par.
Koepka would par the 14th hole but gave one shot back with a bogey on the 15th. However, he got that shot back on the next hole, as he birdied the par-5 16th hole, returning to even par. Koepka would par the final two holes of his first nine, finishing with an even-par 36.
On his second nine, Koepka made his way into contention.
He parred the first, second and third holes to remain at even par. But then, he got hot.
On the par-4 fourth hole, Koepka hit the green in two, then rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt to get back into red figures. That putt seemed to spark Koepka. On the par-3 fifth hole, he hit the green, then rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt to get to 2-under on his round.
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He would par the sixth hole. But on the par-5 seventh, Koepka hit the green in two and just missed his eagle putt. He tapped in for a birdie to get to 3-under par.
Pars on the eighth and ninth holes finished off his round of 3-under par 69. Koepka trails first-round leader Corey Conners by two shots. But Koepka is in prime position after 18 holes of play.