PGA Championship 2019 Recap : Brooks Koepka Repeat Tiger Woods Feat in 2019 PGA Championship

Recap of the PGA Championship 2019 : The SportsRush Presents to you the 2019 PGA Championship as it happened. 

Tiger Woods Odds

As the clock ticked down to the US PGA Championship, all eyes were on Tiger Woods after his recent victory at the Masters. However, we were soon to learn that there was someone else in the field who was to dominate the event.

No golfer had retained the PGA title since Woods in 2007, but Brooks Koepka had already proved that once he wins a title, he doesn’t want to let go of it. He’d won two consecutive US Open titles in 2017 and 2018 and was among the favourites to retain the PGA title he won last year, after finishing second behind Woods at the Masters.

All the pre-tournament focus was on Woods and whether he could continue his amazing comeback – and anyone betting on golf would have got shorter odds on Tiger winning here than were on offer before the Masters. However, Tiger hadn’t played a tournament since then and admitted that was because he wasn’t mentally ready, so hardly the ideal preparation.

Bethpage Black Course Recap

The Bethpage Black Course in New York was to prove a tough assignment for most of the field. Woods, whose Masters win was even more remarkable since it came just two years after he was arrested on a DUI charge, was soon out of contention as he carded a first-round total of 72. His round included an eagle and three birdies but also three bogeys and two double-bogeys. That left him nine shots off the lead as Koepka stormed to a 63 and a one-shot lead from New Zealander Danny Lee and a three-shot gap to England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

The second round proved to be one that brought back memories of the days when Tiger Woods dominated the sport. Koepka followed his first-round 63 with a 65 to end the second round on -12 and seven shots clear of the field. That was the largest ever lead after 36 holes in the history of the tournament and the lowest total after two rounds in Majors history.

Adam Scott moved up to joint-second with Jordan Spieth after carding 64, the best score of the day.  World number one Dustin Johnson’s 67 took him to joint-fourth but eight behind Koepka. The challenge of Tiger Woods came to an end as his 73 saw him miss the cut.

The following day, Koepka was unable to card a third successive score in the 60s as he could only manage a level par 70. However, Scott, Johnson and Spieth failed to take advantage, and Koepka finished the day still seven shots clear with one round to play.

Chasing him in second place were four golfers with American trio Dustin Johnson, Luke List and Harold Varner Jr. joined by Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananod. Adam Scott couldn’t follow up his great second round scoring 72 to end the day nine shots behind Koepka.

It looked as if the final round might just be a procession, but golf is  unpredictable. All was going well for the tournament leader until the final eight holes. Koepka carded five bogies in those final holes as Dustin Johnson closed the gap on him to just one shot with three holes to play.

However, it was Johnson who cracked though as he dropped shots at both the 16th and 17th holes. Koepka’s third and fourth round total was 16 shots higher than his combined scores for the first two rounds, but the chasing pack just couldn’t peg back that big lead he had. Aside from Johnson, no one could get within six shots of the lead with Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Matt Wallace tied for third.

Brooks Koepka’s consistency in Major tournaments is incredible. The last eight Major’s he has played has produced four wins, a second and a tied sixth. His PGA victory took him to the top of the world rankings, and now he has his eyes set on becoming the first golfer since Willie Anderson 114 years ago to win three US Opens in a row.