Koepka avoids collapse to win PGA Championship

World
Europe

Brooks Koepka held off a late charge from Dustin Johnson to capture his second consecutive PGA Championship on Sunday, completing a wire-to-wire victory for his fourth major title in nerve-wracking fashion.

A record seven-stroke lead for Koepka was reduced to a single shot, but he withstood making four bogeys in a row on the back nine and another at 17 for an unexpectedly narrow triumph.

Koepka fired a four-over par 74 final round at windy Bethpage Black to finish 72 holes on eight-under 272 and defeat Johnson by two strokes, replacing him as world number one as a result.

American golfer Brooks Koepka plays a shot on the 12th hole during the PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course in New York, U.S., May 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

"I'm just glad we don't have any more holes to play," Koepka said. "That was a stressful round of golf. I'm just glad to have my hands on this trophy again."

Bogeys by Johnson at 16 and 17 made the difference but Koepka made bogey at the par-3 17th, then escaped sand and weeds off the 18th tee by finding the fairway and green then sinking a six-foot putt for the victory.

"He did a great job putting pressure on me, making me play some solid golf down the stretch," Koepka said. "He played great."

Koepka, who seeks his third U.S. Open win in a row next month at Pebble Beach, became the first man to own back-to-back titles at two majors simultaneously by capturing the Wanamaker Trophy and the top prize of 1.98 million U.S. dollars.

"This is unbelievable," Koepka said. "I don't know if I even dreamed this. It's amazing."

American golfer Brooks Koepka plays a shot on the 17th hole during the PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course in New York, U.S., May 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

Koepka called it the most satisfying of his four majors' wins, adding, "I was able to refocus. That was the keyword for the day."

The 29-year-old American became the PGA's fifth wire-to-wire winner after Hal Sutton in 1983, Ray Floyd in 1982, Jack Nicklaus in 1971 and Bobby Nichols in 1964.

Koepka joined Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back stroke-play winners of the PGA, Woods having done it in 2006-07 as well as 1999-2000.

Koepka seized a tournament-record lead of seven strokes after 54 holes on 12-under par 198.

No man has led a major by so much so late and lost. But Koepka came close.

Source(s): AFP