For those of you that think the USPGA is the inferior major (myself included) this years final round did it’s very best to change our minds. As Sunday unfolded there were two stories developing that would have lived long in the memory. First of all, Tiger was in contention come major Sunday once again. He really has proved to all the doubters this summer that he still can compete on the highest rung of the ladder during major weekends. Whereas at Carnoustie he claimed the lead only to see it disappear abruptly with a double bogey on the 11th. At Bellerive, Tiger never quite hit the front of the pack, but the chase caused great excitement for those watching on at home and the masses that followed his every move in St. Louis. His driver was as erratic as it’s been for a while, but Bellerive’s soft conditions lent itself to irons shots coming in from the widest of angles. It is safe to say Tiger is back and it is fantastic for golf.
Then there was the guy with the silky smooth swing and the model looks from the land down under. Adam Scott. For as long as he has been on tour, he has had a swing anyone would kill to have, but only for a putter made of ice only has one major victory to his name. With the devastating news of the passing of Jarrod Lyle in the build up to the USPGA, a victory for Adam would have been a victory for Jarrod. The whole of Australia, and huge parts of the golfing world were willing Adam’s putter to get even lukewarm. Ultimately, Scott came up a couple short in his quest for major glory, but it was a welcome return to form for the likeable Aussie. On the day, both Woods and Scott were beaten by a better golfer. Brooks Koepka showed no care for fairytale finishes and smoothly played his way to victory.
Brooks Koepka just does his business and flies under the radar and that doesn’t bother him. Going under the radar may be a thing of the past now. After winning 50% of his last six majors Koepka is the guy who knows how to get it done during major weekends. He is cool as a cucumber under the gun on a Sunday afternoon, and barely broke a sweat in the sweltering temperatures of St. Louis. When Tiger came charging, Brooks simply strolled into 3rd gear and made his move away from the field. With a 66% strike rate of majors in 2018, Brooks is certainly one of the main figures to look to during those four major weeks in 2019.
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