Brooks Koepka, holding his nerve to fight off dramatic challenges from Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, on Sunday won a thrilling back-nine battle to capture the 100th PGA Championship.
The 28-year-old two-time US Open champion sealed his third major title by firing a four-under-par 66 to finish 72 holes on 16-under 264, edging Woods by two strokes at Bellerive Country Club with Australia’s Scott another shot adrift.
“To do this is truly incredible,” Koepka said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
As Woods electrified spectators by displaying the form that made him a 14-time major champion, American rival Koepka stayed calm under intense pressure to claim the Wanamaker Trophy and a top prize of US$1.98 million.
“I heard all the roars when Tiger made his run,” Koepka said. “It was the first time Tiger and I have been in contention at the same time, so the fans definitely let you know what he was doing.”
Koepka fired the lowest 72-hole score in tournament history, one shot under the old mark set by American David Toms in 2001 at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
Deadlocked for the lead with Scott — who began the back nine with three birdies in four holes — and only one stroke ahead of Woods, Koepka sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 15th and a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th, then parred the last two holes to secure the victory.
“I’m definitely playing better and in the right direction, and that’s a positive,” Scott said.
Woods, who has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won any title in five years, proved he is a legitimate major title contender once again at age 42 with an epic 64, his low final round in a major, which he concluded with a 20-foot birdie putt at 18, the crowd roaring as he walked off.
“These fans were so positive all week,” Woods said. “I can’t thank them enough for what they were saying out there and what it meant to me coming back trying to win a major championship again.”
Koepka, who defended his US Open crown in June at Shinnecock, became only the fifth player to win the US Open and PGA Championship in the same year, joining Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
Moreover, it came in a season where he missed the Masters with a left wrist injury.
“Going from that to being able to play this year to this, it’s absolutely mind blowing,” Koepka said.
In his eighth month of a comeback season after spinal fusion surgery, Woods ground out four birdies against a lone bogey on both the front and back nines, but could never draw level with Koepka, settling for his seventh career major runner-up finish.
“I played hard,” Woods said. “I was hanging in there, grinding it out trying to make as many birdies as possible.”
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