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LIV Golf: Brooks Koepka finds swagger in last PGA Championship tune-up


Guess who has his swagger again.

By 36 holes on the Sentosa Golf Membership in Singapore, Brooks Koepka holds a three-shot lead over Thomas Pieters and Adrian Meronk in LIV Golf’s seventh occasion of the season.

“Simply sort of discovering my very own little swagger,” Koepka stated after his Saturday 7-under 64.

“Happy with the best way I’ve performed to this point and simply have to go one other good spherical.”

Within the weeks main as much as this event in Singapore, Koepka has not been at his greatest, outdoors of a current Tenth-place end at LIV Golf Adelaide. He tied for forty fifth at Augusta Nationwide, a consequence he referred to as an “embarrassment.”

“I feel Augusta was a superb wake-up name. I’ve needed to actually grind since then,” Koepka stated.

“That actually kicked issues into overdrive for me. I actually have needed to put my nostril down and grind a bit of bit more durable. I even needed to look my group within the eye and apologize. I’m not wanting to try this once more.”

Brooks Koepka, LIV Golf, Singapore

Brooks Koepka hits a tee shot throughout the second spherical of the 2024 LIV Golf Singapore occasion.
Picture by Jason Butler/Getty Photos

The additional observe since then has paid off, as Koepka has performed a lot better since his poor exhibiting on the 2024 Masters.

He attributes this to his ball-striking, which has vastly improved.

“Ball-striking is lastly beginning to come round. The putter is heating up a bit of bit. I feel that’s simply on account of seeing some higher golf photographs,” Koepka stated.

“That’s sort of the way it’s at all times labored for me. If I really feel good placing it, you will have a couple of extra alternatives and some extra higher appears. As an alternative of being 30 ft, it may be 15, which ups your probabilities tremendously. That performs an enormous half, to be trustworthy with you.”

Koepka’s first birdie of the spherical got here on the par-5 4th, the place the five-time main winner threaded a 3-wood via a set of palm bushes and onto the inexperienced in two.

“It’s a much bigger hole than folks in all probability assume,” Koepka stated of that shot.

“I needed to begin it nicely proper of the flag, so I felt assured I might begin it someplace on the inexperienced. It’s at all times a much bigger hole than it appears.”

On the following gap, the signature gap at Sentosa, Koepka caught an 8-iron to 6 ft and drained the putt. The tender circumstances—because of a four-hour climate delay—allowed the sector to assault each pin, and Koepka took full benefit.

LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka and caddie Ricky Elliott line up a putt throughout day two of LIV Golf Singapore.
Picture by Jason Butler/Getty Photos

One other birdie adopted on the sixth gap, and abruptly, he sat at 8-under par and held a share of the lead.

Koepka settled down a bit after that, making six straight pars to stay at 8-under.

However extra fireworks went off on the par-4 thirteenth, probably the most difficult holes on the course. Koepka drained a 53-footer with practically six ft of break to get to 9-under, which gave him all types of momentum.

On the following gap, Koepka practically made an ace on the 180-yard par-3 and rapidly obtained to 10-under.

Two extra birdies adopted on 16 and 18, the latter of which got here because of a 20-foot make.

“I simply needed to exit and play good golf, and that’s all I need to do, particularly main into the PGA,” Koepka added.

Koepka is rounding into type on the proper time, with the PGA Championship now solely two weeks away. He’ll arrive at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky, because the defending champion, trying to efficiently defend a significant title for the third time in his profession.

However earlier than he can totally deal with successful a fourth Wanamaker Trophy, Koepka has a job to complete in Singapore, the place a fourth profession LIV Golf victory is nicely inside attain.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.



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