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Brooks Koepka of The United States holds the Wanamaker Trophy after his win the ultimate spherical of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 21, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (Photo by DAVID CANNON / David Cannon Collection / Getty Images by way of AFP)
Brooks Koepka outdueled Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler in a back-nine battle Sunday to win the PGA Championship for his fifth main title, giving Saudi-backed LIV Golf a milestone main triumph.
The 33-year-old American captured his third PGA Championship and have become the primary participant to win a significant since becoming a member of LIV, firing a three-under par 67 to complete 72 holes at Oak Hill on nine-under 271.
“This is probably the sweetest one of them all because all the hard work that went into it,” Koepka stated. “This one is definitely special.”
Norway’s Eleventh-ranked Hovland, chasing his first main title, and American Scheffler, final yr’s Masters winner and the brand new world primary, shared second on 273.
“I put up a good fight. I played great today,” Scheffler stated. “I gave the blokes on high of the leaderboard one thing to consider.
“But Brooks just played some fantastic golf this week. He played too good this weekend for me to catch up to him.”
There had been a smattering of boos for Koepka as he walked onto the 18th inexperienced to make the concluding putts for the title, an indication of the bitter acrimony that has engulfed golf for the reason that launch of the LIV circuit final yr.
But Koepka calmly completed off a formidable romp, his first main win since 2021 proper knee surgical procedure sidelined him for a lot of the previous two seasons.
“I hear it all,” Koepka stated. “I just don’t care. That’s sports. You’ve got to be mentally tough.”
Thinking of the rehabilitation and restoration made Koepka emotional as he walked off the 18th inexperienced.
“I look back at where we were two years ago,” Koepka stated. “I’m so happy right now. I’m at a loss for words. But this is the coolest thing.”
Koepka’s victory places him among the many winningest 20 males in main historical past.
“It’s incredible,” stated Koepka. “I’m not sure I even dreamed when I was a kid I would win this many.”
Australia’s Cam Davis and American Kurt Kitayama shared fourth on 277 with one other LIV participant, American Bryson DeChambeau.
Four-time main winner Rory McIlroy shared seventh on 278 with Austrian Sepp Straka.
Koepka was among the many stars who jumped from the PGA Tour to breakaway LIV Golf, which provided file $25 million purses for 54-hole occasions, regardless of concern over Saudi Arabia’s human rights file.
The PGA banned LIV expertise from its occasions, with a authorized battle between them due in court docket subsequent May. In the meantime, the majors have offered the one outlet for competitors between gamers from the rival excursions.
In all, there have been six main winners from LIV within the subject of 156 with a mixed 15 main crowns, none of them gained since becoming a member of the upstart circuit, together with Australian Cam Smith’s British Open title final July.
“We haven’t forgot how to play golf,” Smith stated. “We’re all great golfers out there.”
Koepka led coming into the ultimate spherical eventually month’s Masters however, in his phrases, “choked” away the inexperienced jacket, ending second to Spain’s Jon Rahm however taking classes in psychological angle.
“I definitely wouldn’t have won today if that didn’t happen,” Koepka stated.
Ace for US membership professional
In the closing drama, Hovland was undone by a 9-iron from a fairway bunker at 16, the place he embedded his ball into the bunker wall and went on to make double bogey.
Koepka sank a birdie putt at 16 from simply inside 5 ft to achieve 10-under and lead by 4.
“I thought I handled myself pretty well,” Hovland stated. “Pretty unlucky on 16 however I don’t really feel like I gave it away.
“Brooks deserved to win. He hit a lot of great putts and a lot of great shots.”
Scheffler birdied 18 and Koepka took bogey at 17 to steer by two on the 18th gap. He dropped his strategy inside 10 ft and two-putted for victory.
US membership skilled Michael Block aced the 151-yard par-3 fifteenth on the fly with a 7-iron and was cheered all the best way alongside his stroll to the opening. It was the primary hole-in-one by a membership professional within the PGA since 1999.
Block shot 71 to share fifteenth on 281, incomes a spot in subsequent yr’s PGA subject.
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