PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — 5-time main champion Brooks Koepka will make his fourth PGA Tour begin of the season within the Gamers this week, however will probably be the primary time he’ll compete towards almost all the circuit’s high stars.
Relegated to enjoying in non-signature occasions as a part of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, the previous LIV Golf League captain has been compelled to look at limited-field tournaments like final week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
„I imply, you want to be there final week, however I perceive these are the results of my selections,“ Koepka mentioned Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass. „I am an enormous boy, I perceive that. So, I acquired to take a seat at house and watch, and the reply to all the things is play good golf and all the things will maintain itself.“
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Since returning to the PGA Tour on Jan. 12, Koepka’s outcomes have been a blended bag. He tied for 56th at 4 beneath in his first event within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines exterior San Diego on Jan. 29, then missed the minimize the subsequent week after carding a 76-69 within the WM Phoenix Open.
Koepka, 35, mentioned he felt like he made a breakthrough, albeit towards a weaker discipline, within the Cognizant Traditional within the Palm Seashores on March 1. He posted a 6-under 65 within the remaining spherical, after switching from a blade putter to a Spider mannequin that week.
„I feel the primary week was simply making an attempt to get that out of the way in which,“ Koepka mentioned. „Then the second week, I felt prefer it was very disappointing. Made just a few adjustments [with a] new putter, simply engaged on just a few totally different mechanical issues within the placing. [I] felt prefer it began to click on, I suppose.“
Whereas being sidelined from the API, Koepka performed within the Seminole Professional-Member at Seminole Golf Membership in Juno Seashore, Florida. He went to Orlando, Florida, later within the week to proceed engaged on placing along with his caddie, Ricky Elliott.
„I feel with that change there’s been lots of mechanical adjustments as effectively,“ Koepka mentioned of the putter change. „I might say it is undoubtedly that the mechanical points are the harder elements of it. However I imply, if you happen to take a look at it, the face rotation on the Spider is rather less than it was with the blade. Simply in search of a bit of bit extra consistency.“
Koepka mentioned he appreciates the reception from followers and different PGA Tour gamers since his return.
„I did not know what to anticipate, however the followers have been nice,“ he mentioned. „I am nonetheless getting ‚welcome again‘ as of yesterday, so I imply, it is a good feeling. It feels good to be again. I am having fun with it. It is lots of enjoyable, and the gamers have been nice, too.“
Even just a few golfers who benefited after he left for the LIV Golf League have thanked them for opening spots in event fields.
„I feel each week someone’s thanked me, which has been type of bizarre,“ Koepka mentioned.
Koepka will attempt to keep that momentum on the Gamers, the place he has by no means had a top-10 end in six begins. He missed the minimize in his most up-to-date begin on the Stadium Course, carding 72-81 in 2022.
One factor Koepka most likely did not miss was the enduring seventeenth inexperienced at TPC Sawgrass.
That yr, after unhealthy climate delayed the second spherical, Koepka needed to play the par-3 seventeenth with a 35 mph wind blowing in his face when play resumed Saturday. His first try with an 8-iron was woefully wanting the island inexperienced and went into the water. He carded a triple-bogey 6, after making a double-bogey 5 within the first spherical.
„That seventeenth gap has gotten me through the years,“ Koepka mentioned. „I’ve performed good rounds right here; that is simply type of the one bugaboo that all the time will get me.“
In 20 profession rounds on the Stadium Course, Koepka is 20 over par on the seventeenth. He has recorded two bogeys, three doubles, two triples and two quadruple-bogey 7s. He hit the island inexperienced solely 55% of the time and hit 10 balls within the water.
„I do not give it some thought. It would not hang-out me,“ Koepka mentioned. „I imply, my mates, they offer me a bunch of crap about it. My mates bust my chops about it fairly good. So, I imply, it is all enjoyable and video games. Then I simply acquired to exit and go do it.“
Koepka did discover the seventeenth inexperienced throughout a apply spherical Monday.
„I used to be fairly pumped about that,“ he mentioned.
