What, me fear? Confident Koepka fires 66

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – It was not the beginning Brooks Koepka envisioned, 2 over on Day 1 on the PGA Championship after starting the week with so many expectations. It was additionally not the response you’d have anticipated after such a pedestrian begin.

“I doubt it’s going to occur tomorrow,” Koepka shrugged Thursday when requested about his opening 72.

Clearly, he knew one thing others didn’t as evidenced by his 4-under 66 that led the sector on Day 2 and moved him to inside two photographs of the lead at Oak Hill.

“He is aware of he’s swinging it good. We didn’t actually hit a ton of balls yesterday,” mentioned his swing coach, Claude Harmon III, who estimated they have been on the vary for lower than half-hour. “I really like the very fact he got here and mentioned, ‘I noticed it. My fingers acquired actually far again.’ As a coach that’s the best potential factor you possibly can have, a participant is available in throughout a serious championship and says, ‘I do know precisely what I used to be doing incorrect.’”

It had been a attempting few years for Koepka as he struggled with varied accidents and ultimately turned to LIV Golf, however he began to see progress towards the top of final 12 months and he gained the LIV occasion in April in Orlando, Florida. But it surely was his efficiency on the Masters that satisfied him he was again.

Though Harmon mentioned Koepka was “devastated” by his runner-up end to Jon Rahm at Augusta Nationwide, following a final-round 75, it proved he was nonetheless the identical participant who gained 4 of eight majors from 2017-19.

“It confirmed him how a lot he nonetheless wished it,” Harmon mentioned. “The argument was these guys [players who joined LIV] acquired the bag and so they didn’t care about successful anymore. I truly suppose the truth that he was as harm and devastated by it was a lot a optimistic for me. It confirmed me he cared, that successful the Masters means one thing.”