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Koepka Wins P.G.A. Championship, Vanquishing Demons and Boosting LIV

Koepka claimed his fifth major championship when he outlasted a swarm of stars on Sunday at Oak Hill Country Club near Rochester, N.Y.

Credit... Desiree Rios/The New York Times

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By Alan Blinder

• May 21, 2023

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Six weeks ago on Sunday, Brooks Koepka did not sleep. He had brooding to do and demons to chase. After everything — the ghastly knee injury, the agony of unfulfilled ambition, the taunts and the splenetic rift in professional golf that he helped personify — he had rallied to a Masters Tournament lead, and then he had fizzled. Collapsed, really.

He ultimately vowed, he recalled over the weekend at Oak Hill Country Club, never to “think the way I thought going into the final round.” On Sunday evening, Koepka found his vindication: a two-stroke win at the P.G.A. Championship, earning him his first major tournament trophy since 2019. It was Koepka’s fifth career major victory, tying him with figures like Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson.

“I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years,” said Koepka, who said that he had received about 600 text messages by the time he held a news conference. “But it feels good to be back and to get No. 5.”

The victory made him the first member of LIV Golf , the year-old breakaway league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund , to win a major title since joining the circuit. And while Koepka’s triumph at Oak Hill may do little to stanch some of the criticisms of LIV — its ties to a repressive government, its disputed intentions, its gleeful instigation of a financial arms race in an ancient sport — it definitively ended the wrangling over whether men who play a smattering of 54-hole tournaments can prevail on golf’s grandest, 72-hole stages.

“I definitely think it helps LIV,” Koepka said, “but I’m more interested in my own self right now, to be honest with you.”

Fair enough, for he silenced the notion, one that seemed a little more off-the-mark after the Masters, that his contending days were done by carding a three-under-par 67 on Sunday, taking him to nine under for the tournament. But this is a 33-year-old player whose results in 2022’s major season looked like this: missed cut, tie for 55th, solo 55th, missed cut. It had been easy to forget that in 2021, the sequence went like this: missed cut, tie for second, tie for fourth, tie for sixth.

By the end of last year, he had a mounting hunch that his recovery was nearly done and that he could, finally, be relevant again. Around January, he has said, he was certain of it.

“He is back to being healthy,” said Cameron Smith, who won the British Open last summer and then joined LIV later in the year. “I think that brings a little bit of internal confidence as well being out there and just being able to do your stuff.”

It did not look that way as recently as Thursday, when the prospect that Koepka would outlast a swarm of stars seemed closer to impossible than even improbable. He had opened this tournament with a two-over-par 72 and, by his own account, was out of sorts and struggling to strike the ball as he wished. He could not remember, he said, the last time he had hit so poorly.

But he was not that far behind because the tournament, the first major played at Oak Hill since a sweeping effort to restore some of the daunting tests that characterize Donald J. Ross-designed courses, emerged as one of the most fearsome P.G.A. Championships in recent decades, often evoking the rigors of the 2008 competition at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Of the 156 players who competed this past week, only 11 finished below par — a departure from 2013, when 21 players finished in the red at the P.G.A. Championship at Oak Hill.

The stinginess came even with the course, with its perilous rough and humbling bunkers, being more accommodating on Sunday than it had been earlier. Smith, Cam Davis, Kurt Kitayama and Sepp Straka all shot 65s on Sunday, running them high up the leaderboard. Patrick Cantlay, who made one of the tournament’s scarce eagles, signed for a 66. Michael Block , whose day job is being the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club southeast of Los Angeles, had a hole in one at No. 15, the first P.G.A. Championship ace by a club professional since 1996.

But much of the focus on Sunday was on Koepka; Viktor Hovland, the budding Norwegian talent; and Scottie Scheffler, the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Ranking. Koepka, his standing shriveled because of his lucrative ties to LIV, whose tournaments are not accredited in the ranking system , entered Sunday at No. 44. (The P.G.A. of America, which organized this tournament, is distinct from the PGA Tour, LIV’s rival.)

Koepka stepped into the first tee box with a one-stroke lead and doubled his margin in short order when he made a birdie at the second hole. He had played the hole to par the first three days, always reaching the green in two shots but leaving himself with long putts. On Sunday, with the pin at the front-right of the green, he needed less than 5 feet.

His birdie putt at the third hole required even less, after his longest tee shot of the tournament at the hole known as Vista, moving his advantage to three stokes.

The sixth hole, a threat to so many players throughout the tournament, loomed. Koepka had survived the hole, a par-4 challenge that the field finished in an average of 4.52 strokes, well enough on Thursday, Friday and Saturday: par in each of the first three rounds. On Sunday, though, his tee shot rocketed rightward into a thick grass in the so-called native area. He took a drop and then, about 191 yards from the hole, struck it onto the green and eventually escaped with a bogey. Although Koepka followed with another bogey, Hovland also stumbled at No. 7.

At the turn, Koepka led Hovland by a lone stroke. Scheffler, a steady-voiced sensation since he won last year’s Masters, and Bryson DeChambeau , the 2020 U.S. Open winner, were three off the lead.

Koepka answered with a tantalizing streak: birdie, bogey, birdie. Hovland had a chance for birdie at the 12th hole, but his tap from nearly 15 feet edged just left of the cup. With six holes to play, Koepka’s advantage was back to two strokes. Two holes later, it was down to one.

But at nearly every major, there comes a moment when one man’s victory appears inevitable. It may not be mathematically buttoned-up yet, but almost everyone knows that the tournament is finished before it actually ends.

On Sunday, the scene for that moment was the 16th hole. It had not been the most hellish at Oak Hill, not by far. Hovland will remember it, though.

His ball in a bunker after his tee shot, he wielded his 9-iron. With less than 175 yards to the hole, he swung and blasted his ball — not onto the green, but into the bunker’s lip. His fourth shot reached the green. A bogey putt missed, leaving him with a double bogey. Koepka, in the twilight of his pursuit for his third P.G.A. Championship victory, made a birdie to lay claim to a four-stroke lead.

“It’s not easy going toe-to-toe with a guy like that,” Hovland, who finished in the top seven for his third consecutive major, said of his duel with Koepka. “He is not going to give you anything, and I didn’t really feel like I gave him anything either until 16.”

Scheffler made a birdie putt at the 18th green soon after to narrow Koepka’s path. Koepka himself narrowed it further with a bogey at No. 17.

He arrived at the 18th hole, which was playing 497 yards on Sunday, with two shots to spare. He tee shot soared and then thumped into the fairway, stopping at 318 yards. The towering grandstands waited in the distance, filled with spectators, as the fairway-lined galleries were, looking to see whether, after everything, Koepka was indeed back.

His next swing lifted the ball onto the green. The applause was rising, seemingly with every step in his march up the steep incline, the kind of incline that would have felt Everest-like to Koepka in the recent past. He knelt — there had been times, he said, when he could not so much as bend his knee — and then approached the ball. He steadied himself and tapped the ball forward.

It stopped, according to tournament officials, about 3 inches short.

He flashed a tight smile, as if to say that, of course, there would be one last hiccup.

He tried again. The ball fell into the cup. He pumped his fist and then embraced his caddie for nearly nine seconds.

Indeed, after everything, Koepka was back.

Alan Blinder is a sports reporter. He has reported from more than 30 states, as well as Asia and Europe, since he joined The Times in 2013. More about Alan Blinder

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LIV's Brooks Koepka wins PGA Championship for 5th major title

Brooks Koepka sinks the putt to earn his fifth major and third PGA Championship. (0:38)

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- In the final round of the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on Sunday, Brooks Koepka seemed determined to step on the gas early.

He had three straight birdies in the first four holes to open up a 4-shot lead over Norway's Viktor Hovland and Canada's Corey Conners . Then he held on when Hovland and Scottie Scheffler , two of the best players in the world, made their moves on the back nine.

Koepka carded a 3-under 67 in the final round, finishing at 9 under for the tournament to win the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time, beating Scheffler and Hovland by 2 strokes.

"To look back to where we were two years ago, I'm so happy right now," Koepka said. "This is just the coolest thing."

Koepka had warned us: Whatever was going on between his ears heading into Sunday's round at the Masters in April would never be muttered in his mind again. Koepka had a 2-shot lead going into that final round at Augusta National Golf Club. He shot 3-over 75 in the final 18 holes and lost to Spain's Jon Rahm by 4 strokes.

Even Koepka, one of the most confident golfers in the world, acknowledged this week that he choked while trying to win his first green jacket.

"I've always learned more from the four times I finished second than, I guess, the five times I've won now," Koepka said. "I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it. You realize what mistakes you've made. Each time I've kind of made an adjustment. It's more mentality than it is anything. It's not really golf swing or anything like that. You're going to play how you play, but mentally, you can kind of figure things out, and I'm always trying to get better. Just trying to find that different little edge just to poke and try inside my head."

Even after Koepka won at Oak Hill, he was unwilling to share what he had learned at Augusta National.

"I can't give away all the secrets," he said.

Hovland had stayed within striking distance of Koepka until the par-4 16th hole, where Hovland hit his drive into a fairway bunker. His second shot became embedded into the bunker's face, leading to a double bogey and ending his chances. Koepka had a birdie on the hole to take a 4-shot lead.

It was a historic victory for Koepka and the LIV Golf League , the Saudi Arabian-financed circuit that reportedly paid him $100 million in guaranteed earnings to lure him away from the PGA Tour in June. Koepka is the first LIV Golf League player to win a major championship.

Koepka rose from No. 44 to No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also is projected to climb to No. 2 in the U.S. Ryder Cup team points standings and seems almost assured of claiming one of the six automatic spots on the team that will compete outside Rome against Europe from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

"He's been knocking on the door a lot, and he's been playing some really good golf," said Phil Mickelson , another LIV Golf League captain. "And I think we're all kind of expecting that to happen.

"He's been working really hard, and it's good to see him playing well."

Over four days at one of the most difficult golf courses in the world, Koepka reaffirmed his position as perhaps the best major championship player of his era.

He claimed his third PGA Championship title, after winning at Bellerive Country Club outside St. Louis in 2018 and Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, the next year. He became only the third player to win the PGA Championship at least three times after it became a stroke-play event in 1958; Jack Nicklaus (five) and Tiger Woods (four) are the others.

Koepka, 33, also won the U.S. Open in back-to-back years, at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin in 2017 and at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York in 2018.

According to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group, Koepka becomes only the seventh player since 1950 to win five majors before age 34: Woods, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer , Seve Ballesteros , Gary Player and Tom Watson also did it.

"This is probably the sweetest one of them all, because all the hard work that went into this one; this one is definitely special," Koepka said.

From 2015 through 2018, Koepka had a final-round scoring average of 68.9 in the majors. Nobody was better on golf's biggest stages.

Koepka won't say it, but we can assume that he believed he played too conservatively in the final round of the Masters. He came out firing at Oak Hill's pins Sunday after rain from the day before softened the greens.

Koepka made par on the first hole then carded three straight birdies to grab a 4-shot lead. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Koepka was the first 54-hole leader at a major in the past 20 years to start 3 under or better in his first four holes of the final round.

With the pin only three feet off the front and right on the par-4 second, Koepka hit his approach shot to 4½ feet. On the par-3 third, his tee shot stopped four feet from the hole, despite a stiff crosswind. He sank a 9-footer for birdie on the fourth. Koepka was cruising.

"When he gets in contention, he's like a shark when there's blood in the water," Rahm said during CBS Sports' broadcast on Sunday.

"I've always learned more from the four times I finished second than, I guess, the five times I've won now. I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it. You realize what mistakes you've made. Each time I've kind of made an adjustment. It's more mentality than it is anything." Brooks Koepka

Then, just like that, Koepka lost all of his momentum. After Hovland posted consecutive birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 and cut his deficit to 2 strokes, Koepka made his first big mistake. On the par-4, 481-yard sixth hole, he sliced his drive far to the right. His ball crossed over a native area and ended up in the deep rough left of the seventh fairway. Koepka was forced to take a drop and knocked his third shot onto the green. Hovland had a nice up-and-down out of a greenside bunker to save par on No. 6 and cut Koepka's lead to 1 shot.

Koepka extended his lead to 2 strokes with another birdie on the par-4 10th. Koepka and Hovland traded blows on the back nine. Koepka added birdies on Nos. 12 and 14. Hovland had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14. Then Hovland made the big mistake on No. 16.

It was redemption for Koepka, who acknowledged at the Masters that he might not have jumped to LIV Golf if his body had been in better shape a year ago. At the time, he was still recovering from a dislocated right knee. Koepka said he fell at home and tried to pop his kneecap back into place. In the process, he shattered his kneecap and ruptured his medial patellofemoral ligament.

"You know, my leg was sideways and out," Koepka said at the time. "My foot was turned out, and when I snapped it back in because the kneecap had already shattered, it went in pretty good. It went in a lot easier."

During the Netflix series "Full Swing," Koepka seemed bruised and battered, wondering aloud if he could compete with the likes of Scheffler and other young stars any longer.

"I'll be honest with you: I can't compete with these guys, week in, week out," Koepka said during a dinner at the 2022 Masters, where he missed the cut. "A guy like Scottie, he can shoot 63 every day. I don't know."

Although Koepka has previously said his "Full Swing" episode didn't provide a full picture of what he was going through, he is glad viewers got to see his softer side.

"That's who I am," Koepka said. "I'm open and honest. I know I seem like this big, bad, tough guy on the golf course that doesn't smile, doesn't do anything; but if you catch me off the golf course, I'll let you know what's going on. Like, I'm happy they got that side, right? That's truly me, and some people might hate it, some people might dog it, but at the end of the day, it's just me."

Koepka's caddie, Ricky Elliott, said Koepka was probably at his lowest point after missing the cut at the Masters in 2021, when he rushed to get back on the course after injuring his knee the month before.

"I've been around and knew how low he was, and I've been to the highest points and the lowest points, and it's just golf, isn't it?" Elliott said. "They're born to play golf. He sort of got his game back, just before The Players [in 2021] and just messed up his knee. After that, I thought he thought he could rush back for the Masters. He missed the cut, probably the first in a major in 25 attempts. He was low."

Koepka said it took him two years to get fully healthy.

"It was a lot worse than I let on to [the media], let on to everybody," Koepka said. "Like I said, I think maybe only five, six people really know the extent of it. It was hard. Cold weather, it was achy. The swelling didn't go down until maybe a couple of months ago. I mean, so that's almost, what, two years? It's been a long road."

Brooks Koepka wins third career PGA Championship, becomes first LIV golfer to claim major

For the fifth time in his career — and third time at the PGA Championship — Brooks Koepka has won a major championship.

Koepka, who shot 3-under par Sunday to fend off a challenge from Viktor Hovland, became the first LIV Golf player to win a major title since defecting to the Saudi-backed tour.

The outcome was all but confirmed on No. 15, when — for the second consecutive day — a player in contention blasted a shot from a fairway bunker into the grassy lip above the sand trap, forcing a drop. While it was Corey Conners on Saturday, on Sunday's final round it was Hovland, who was just one stroke back of Koepka when his shot disappeared into the sod. Hovland ended up with a double bogey, removing any drama from this year's second major tournament.

Koepka entered Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Hovland and Conners after he birdied three of the final seven holes of the third round Saturday — a day that challenged players with persistent rain and soggy conditions.

Hovland finished in a tie for second place with Scottie Scheffler, whose 5-under helped him to a 7-under for the tournament. Scheffler will no doubt be wondering what could have been had he not shot a 3-over 73 on Saturday.

Odds boost: Add +1000 on golfer of your choice to win any tournament

After rain pelted the Oak Hill course all of Saturday, conditions were the best they have been all tournament Sunday, with greens being soft and receptive and sunny skies with a light breeze.

Koepka raced out to a remarkable start Sunday, deploying his short irons with precision. He birdied three consecutive holes — Nos. 2, 3 and 4 — after his approach shots at each fell within 10 feet to set up gettable birdie putts. That helped him open a three-stroke lead over Hovland, his playing partner in the final pairing of the championship round, through four holes.

Hovland, however, would gain a stroke on Koepka on the par-3 No. 5, after Koepka narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie putt that opened the way for Hovland to sink his birdie try.

At the par-4 No. 6, Kopeka's driver off the tee sailed well right of the fairway, landing in thick grass over the bridge and water hazard near the out of bounds area. His second shot, however, required power and precision to land it on the green and Koepka did just that, though his attempt at a long par save came up short. Koepka bogeyed the hole and Hovland, whose tee shot was in far better position, parred to cut into the lead.

Hovland settled before and after the turn, parring five consecutive holes from No. 8 through No. 12. Hovland did birdie Nos. 13 and 14, but Koepka stayed the course, birdying Nos. 10, 12 and 14 — though he bogeyed No. 11.

The major is Koepka's first since winning the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage's Black Course. Koepka is the 20th player to win at least five majors. He is one of six players to claim three or more PGAs, joining Jack Nicklaus (5), Walter Hagen (5) Tiger Woods (4), Gene Sarazen (3) and Sam Snead (3).

Brooks Koepka wins the PGA Championship for third time in six years

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All those injuries that made Brooks Koepka wonder if he was still among golf’s elite were put to rest Sunday at Oak Hill when he beat the strongest field of the year and won the PGA Championship for his fifth major title.

Determined as ever to restore his reputation as the player to beat in the majors, Koepka ran off three quick birdies early, never lost the lead amid a gritty fight from Viktor Hovland and closed with a three-under 67 for a two-shot victory.

He won his third Wanamaker Trophy — only Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen with five and Tiger Woods with four have won the PGA Championship more times — and captured his first major in four years.

And to think the 18 months Koepka was so wounded he felt he couldn’t compete, a decision that might have led to him leaving the PGA Tour for Saudi-funded LIV Golf in a shocking move last June after the U.S. Open.

In the Netflix series “Full Swing” that began aired earlier this year, he was quoted as saying his confidence had given way to doubt. “I’m going to be honest with you, I can’t compete with these guys week in and week out.”

Give him good health and a clear head, and good luck taking down Koepka in the majors.

He now has won five of his last 22 majors, a rate exceeded only by Woods, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo and Ben Hogan in the last 75 years.

Koepka is in pretty heady company just about everywhere he looks. His five majors are as many as Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson. Among active players, only Woods (15) and Phil Mickelson (six) have more.

“I’m not even sure I dream of it as a kid, that I’d win that many,” he said.

Koepka looked as powerful as ever and left little doubt about his place in the game with his two-shot win over hard-luck Hovland (68) and Scottie Scheffler, who closed with a 65 and returned to No. 1 in the world.

“To look back to where we were two years ago, I’m so happy right now,” Koepka said. “This is just the coolest thing.”

The victory moves Koepka to No. 13 in the world and No. 2 in the Ryder Cup standings. The top six automatically qualify, and it would be hard to fathom leaving Koepka off the American team. He can only earn points in the majors, and two more are still to come.

Koepka had to share the loudest cheers with Orange County club pro Michael Block, who put on an amazing show over four days. Block made a hole in one on the 15th hole while playing with Rory McIlroy, and then made two tough par putts at the end for a fourth straight 70.

He tied for 15th, giving him a return date to the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. It was the best finish by a club pro since Lonnie Nielsen tied for 11th in 1986 at Inverness.

“The most surreal moment I’ve ever had in my life,” Block said. “I’m living a dream and making sure I’m enjoying the moment. Not getting any better than this — no way in hell.”

UNBELIEVABLE! MICHAEL BLOCK JUST DUNKED A HOLE-IN-ONE! pic.twitter.com/Qin8FYXFQV — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 21, 2023

Block charges $125 a lesson at Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo, California. He earned just short of $290,000 at Oak Hill.

For Koepka, his fifth major might have been the sweetest of all considering the scrutiny of his pedestrian play brought on by injuries and his decision to join LIV Golf, where he has won two of the 54-hole events.

A month ago at the Masters, Koepka lost a two-shot lead in the final round by playing tentatively and was overrun by Jon Rahm. He vowed he would not do that again, and Koepka delivered in a major way, just like he used to.

Hovland made it easy for him at the end. Koepka was one shot ahead on the 16th hole when Hovland hit his nine-iron from a bunker that plugged into the lip in front of him — the same shot that stopped Corey Conners on Saturday — and made double bogey.

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Koepka gouged out a shot from the rough to five feet for birdie and suddenly was leading by four shots when Hovland made double bogey.

Scheffler started four shots behind and never got closer than two. His 65 matched the best score of the tournament, posted by four other players on a day that was set up for scoring.

Koepka seized on that by stuffing a wedge to four feet on the second and third holes, and rolling in an eight-foot birdie down the hill on the par-five fourth.

But he drove into the water on the sixth hole and did well to make bogey, and another bogey from the rough on the seventh trimmed his lead to Hovland to one shot.

Hovland pulled within one shot again with a 10-foot birdie on the 13th. Koepka answered with a driver he smashed over the steep bunkers and onto the fringe at the reachable 14th, and after they made pars on the par-three 15th.

Hovland hit nine-iron from the bunker on the 16th and could hear the awful thud of it rocketing into the turf at the edge of the sand. He knew immediately what happened, covered his mouth with a closed fist. After a drop into nasty rough, it took two more to get to the green.

“Brooks is a great player, and now he has five majors. I mean, that’s a hell of a record right there. It’s not easy going toe-to-toe with a guy like that,” Hovland said. “He is not going to give you anything, and I didn’t really feel like I gave him anything either until 16.”

Bryson DeChambeau, who began the PGA with a 66, made too many mistakes in his round of 70. He stuck around to clasp hands with Koepka, two players from LIV Golf who used to get under each other’s skin.

LIV had three players in the top 10 for the second straight major.

Koepka, who finished at nine-under 271, received $3.15 million and the heaviest trophy among the four majors. Nothing felt more valuable than that.

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2023 PGA Championship leaderboard: Brooks Koepka wins fifth major, third PGA in return to elite form

Koepka joins jack nicklaus and tiger woods as golfers to dominate the pga championship in the stroke-play era.

Scaling the mountaintop once is difficult; staying there is nearly impossible. Returning to the summit is almost unheard of, but don't tell that to Brooks Koepka. Four years removed from capturing his last major championship, Koepka stood victorious at one of the sport's premier tournaments winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club by two strokes over Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler.

The victory is first for Koepka (-9) at a major since the 2019 PGA Championship. It marks a return to form for one of the game's brightest stars, who had been plagued over the last three years by knee injuries that led him to question whether he had a future atop the sport he once dominated.

Koepka scored consecutive 4-under 66s to storm to the top of the star-studded field over the weekend, adding a 67 on Sunday to join Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the third golfer to win three or more PGA Championships in the stroke-play era. He also becomes the fifth player to win as many PGAs and at least two U.S. Opens -- standing alongside Woods, Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen -- and the 20th in history with at least five major titles on their mantle.

While Koepka had seven top-10 finishes across the 13 majors he played since that 2019 PGA victory, he finished no better than 55th with two missed cuts in last season's four majors. To start 2023 with a pair of top-two finishes at the Masters and PGA, there's no question that Koepka has returned to form.

It all confirms what many already believed: Koepka is one of the great major championship competitors ever .

"I look back on where we were two years ago, everything that's gone on, I'm just so happy right now that I'm kind of at a loss for words," Koepka said after hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy. "To be with those group of names is absolutely incredible, something, I'll be honest, I'm not even sure if I dreamed of it as a kid winning this many."

Despite what the final score may suggest, Koepka's fifth major came with its fair share of adversity -- not only in the years leading up to it but just last month at the 2023 Masters (where he stood as the 54-hole leader only to finish second) and Sunday within the final round of the PGA Championship itself.

Kick-starting his day with three consecutive birdies on holes 2-4, Koepka saw his overnight lead balloon to three. And then he hit a speed bump. When his tee shot found the penalty area on the difficult par-4 6th, Koepka did well to just drop one before dropping another on the next.

All his hard work had temporarily been erased, and the added cushion he had built over Hovland suddenly evaporated. He made the turn in 1 under, as did Hovland, and went to the back nine face-to-face with the 25-year-old as Scheffler, the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year, was up ahead making a charge of his own.

Two birdies sandwiched a bogey on the 11th for Koepka, and while the par breakers added some breathing room, it was a par conversion on the par-5 13th that was vintage. Missing the green with his third and chipping his fourth to 10 feet above the hole, the 33-year-old successfully navigated a slippery par save to maintain a one-stroke edge over a surging Hovland.

Scheffler clawed his way to two back, but that would be as close as the Texan came to Koepka. Running out of holes, Scheffler's inability to apply pressure down the stretch -- along with birdies from Koepka and Hovland on the 14th -- meant the three-horse race was down to just the final pair.

Pars were exchanged on the tricky 15th, and the championship's deciding moment came soon after. With Hovland scrambling after hitting his second shot from the fairway bunker and into the lip, Koepka saw his moment to pounce. From the lush rough, his second tumbled towards the pin on the 16th and settled near tap-in distance for his seventh and final birdie of the day.

Koepka entered the hole leading by one and left up four. After that, Koepka's fifth major victory and spot among golf's immortality was secured.

Here's a breakdown of the rest of the leaderboard at the 2023 PGA Championship.

T2. Viktor Hovland (-7): For the third straight major championship, Hovland found himself with a legitimate chance to win. Unlike the first two, he still had that opportunity heading into the back nine as he matched Koepka punch for punch nearly the entire day. Birdie conversions on holes 13-14 maintained his one-stroke deficit before disaster struck two holes later. Hovland's chance to become the first major champion from Norway vanished when his second from the fairway bunker on the 16th embedded in the lip and led to a double bogey. 

To make matters worse, Koepka went on to birdie the hole and stretch his lead to four. Hovland was able to cut the lead in half when all was said and done, but this major finish has to be more disappointing than the two prior given how close he was entering the back nine. Hovland is fun-loving, wide-smiling and capable of playing with the best of 'em.

"It's cool," said Hovland. "First place is a lot better than tied for second, but it is fun to even just have a chance to been one of these. Just making the cut and finishing 20th, you know, that's -- you haven't played poorly, but you've been a non-factor in the tournament. So to be in the last group, that was my second time and been in contention for three of these. That's pretty cool."

T2. Scottie Scheffler (-7): The world No. 2 once again snuck up on the field on Sunday. Stalling in the initial portion of his final round, Scheffler found some birdies before the turn just as Koepka began to struggle. He went from seven down to three down in the span of 30 minutes and suddenly launched himself into the conversation. Scheffler got as close as two with birdies on Nos. 13-14, but it ultimately proved to be too little too late.

After getting to 5 under at the 36-hole mark, Scheffler played his final 36 in 2 under lowlighted by his third-round 73. A victory would have been Scheffler's second major in six tries and his third rather large trophy (including the Players Championship). While it was not meant to be, Scheffler continues to stake his claim as the best player in the world -- he will steal that No. 1 spot from Jon Rahm on Monday when the Official World Golf Rankings are updated -- and he hasn't finished outside the top 12 on a leaderboard since October 2022.

Brooks Koepka joins an elite group of players with five major championships. On CBS Sports HQ, Rick Gehman breaks it all down with Kyle Porter, Mark Immelman and Greg DuCharme. Follow & listen to The First Cut on  Apple Podcasts  and  Spotify .

T4. Bryson DeChambeau, Kurt Kitayama, Cameron Davis (-3): Golf is better when DeChambeau is playing well. He shot out the gates with a 4-under 66 only to play his final 54 holes in a 1-over fashion to claim his first worldwide top five since the 2021 BMW Championship. After gaining nearly six strokes with the big stick the first two days, the 2020 U.S. Open champion struggled with off the tee but showed a ton of guts in the process. 

T7. Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka (-2): McIlroy's up-and-down final round was an encapsulation of his week. The 34-year-old arrived on site with a visible chip on his shoulder, lamenting that he was feeling less than 100% physically. Then, he got off to yet another poor start in a major championship. The world No. 3 battled back Thursday and continued his march over the next 54 holes. He again showed that he had more than enough firepower to contend down the stretch. McIlroy carded 10 birdies over the weekend, but the mistakes piled up. Where does Rory go from here? Now nine years removed from his last major triumph at the 2014 PGA Championship, he appears to be searching for his identity as he leaves yet another one inside the top 10 but without a trophy.

"I'll look back on this week as proud of how I hung in there, and I guess my attitude and sticking to it, not having my best stuff," said McIlroy. "Probably not a ton of memorable golf shots hit. My playing partner today hit a couple memorable golf shots, though. Yeah, the atmosphere out there, playing with Michael [Block], was unbelievable. We both got amazing support, but you know, he got unbelievable support, understandably so, being in this position as a club pro and playing so well and, you know, competing into the latter stages of a major championship. It was really impressive."

T9. Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Smith, Justin Rose (-1): It will go down as Cantlay's fourth straight top 15 finish in a major championship, but even he knows there is still work to be done. The world No. 4 got off to a dreadful start Thursday and played his final 54 holes in 5 under. He polished off his time in Rochester with a 4-under 66. Cantlay ranked second in strokes gained off the tee on a course that demanded excellence with the big stick but fell woefully short on and around the green. He was never close to sniffing contention.

T15. Michael Block, Tyrrell Hatton and two others (+1): What more is there to say? The club pro from Southern California took New York by storm in his fifth appearance at a PGA Championship. He nearly touched the lead Friday and got welcomed into the weekend with tee times alongside 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose on Saturday and McIlroy on Sunday. As if that wasn't enough, Block gave the rowdy Rochester faithful even more to cheer about with a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th. Even that wasn't his best moment in the final round as the 46-year-old converted an unlikely up-and-down on the 72nd hole to secure his spot in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

Brooks Koepka wins the 2023 PGA Championship

It was a masterclass from Koepka over the final 54 holes at Oak Hill Country Club. He raises his third Wanamaker Trophy and fifth major to join players such as Seve Ballesteros, Byron Nelson and Peter Thomson. Koepka cements his legacy as one of the greatest major champions ever. Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland finish runner up at 7 under.

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Brooks Koepka found it again, and now he’s a three-time PGA champion

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The coolheaded man who once nailed the brutal art of clinching major golf tournaments, then seemed as if he had forgotten how, gave a sterling exhibit of the knack Sunday afternoon.

In fact, he gave two.

While Brooks Koepka bolted out of the gate ideally for one how-to demonstration — he birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 4 without detour or mess — he gave another through the rest of a daydream day on a daydream Oak Hill course. He clutched a precarious lead over a booming youngster for a scary-long amount of time without ever letting it go or looking even close to ruffled until he won the 105th PGA Championship by two shots and spruced up some numbers that had looked pretty already.

It took his major championship total from the hefty four that had held firm for four long, trying, injury-addled years and upped it to five, alongside such bright lights as Seve Ballesteros and among only 20 men with at least that many. It made him the only player with that many since 1990 beyond Tiger Woods (15) and Phil Mickelson (six). It took his total of PGA Championship wins to three, more than anyone else in the stroke play era except Woods (four) and Jack Nicklaus (five).

Brooks Koepka wins fifth major title, a symbolic boost for LIV Golf

It even made this 33-year-old Floridian into something of a real New Yorker — it became his third major title on three different courses in this state, counting those Long Island bullies Shinnecock Hills and Bethpage Black. It even made him the first player to win a major while playing on the infant LIV Golf circuit, the Saudi-backed money bonanza.

Beyond numbers, it reintroduced the idea of the largeness of Koepka’s guts, which finished their work after a tap-in on No. 18 and gave way to a gigantic smile. The winner had played the last three rounds in 66-66-67, finished at 9 under par and bested Viktor Hovland, who challenged almost all day long before landing at 7 under, and Scottie Scheffler, who challenged late before also landing at 7 under.

“It feels damned good,” Koepka said after four years without a major title, short for most but perhaps long for him. “Yeah, this one is definitely special. I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years. But it feels good to be back — and to get number five.”

He had a lot to contend with on a day when the loudest booms came from PGA club pro Michael Block’s hole-in-one on No. 15 , followed by Block’s extraordinary up-and-down on No. 18 to snare him a share of 15th place and a spot in the 2024 PGA Championship. But Koepka resumed the pressure prowess that marked his run from 2017 to 2019, when he won four of nine, and he discontinued his odd pratfalls of Sundays, which puzzled onlookers at the 2020 and 2021 PGA Championships and the 2023 Masters . His closing 75 at Augusta National kept him up all night, he said, but also seemed to fuel what happened at Oak Hill, a 7,394-yard course redesigned by Andrew Green into some sort of major fairness museum.

Hole-in-one and fairy-tale finish make Michael Block the star of the PGA

“I’m very pleased with what I took from it,” he said of the Masters. “I’m pleased with the honesty I was able to get into” — especially, he said, in a talk with his best friend and brother’s caddie who, he said, “ripped into me.” It all brought him “back to having a chance every time I tee it up,” he said, a throwback to his soaring confidence of the late 2010s before knee surgery in March 2021 and a long and winding recovery from same.

The conclusion that looked foregone early on and then lost its foregone-ness became foregone again at No. 16, where Koepka stood at 9 under and Hovland at 8 under. It came with a dud. It came with a 9-iron that traveled 17 feet in a fairway bunker and smacked against the bunker wall.

It did not come from Koepka, of course.

It came from Hovland, the 25-year-old Norwegian by way of Oklahoma State who has spent the past three major Sundays around the thick of contention. All day long, Hovland played alongside Koepka and scored pretty much alongside Koepka, usually lurking within one shot while sometimes drifting to two and using some lovely iron play to extract himself from thickets.

Now, just as he looked poised to make his first hard charge at a major title, he whacked one that embedded into the bunker lip, foretelling the double bogey that ensued. “Just didn’t get out of the bunker, plugged in lip, tried to get a drop and made a double bogey,” Hovland summarized with lasting disappointment.

He said, “I felt like I played really solid.”

And he said, “But Brooks was hard to catch.”

And he said, “He’s not going to give you anything, and I didn’t really feel like I gave him anything, either — until 16.”

Sensing the chance to slam the door, Koepka plied his uncommon talent for slamming doors. Having stood over there for a good while as Hovland sorted out the lie and the rules related to the lie, Koepka quickly shipped an approach from 157 yards to 4 feet 8 inches. His birdie would take him to 10 under, and Hovland’s double would take him to 6 under.

The tournament had ended before it ended, and the Koepka approach joined his tapestry of mastery throughout the day. That would include the 163-yarder to four feet on No. 2, the 212-yarder to four feet on the par-3 No. 3 and the 95-yarder to nine feet on No. 4. Then, in his second exhibition on clinching, after bogeys on Nos. 6 and 7 howled at a man who had made only one in the previous 30 holes, Koepka rolled in a nerveless eight-footer for birdie on No. 10, a doubtless 11-footer for birdie on No. 12 and a two-putt birdie after smacking it confidently to the green on the par-4 No. 14.

A par putt on No. 13 might have exceeded all of them for sheer audacity amid pressure because there Koepka’s clunker from 136 yards left him 61 feet from the hole before he hit it past to 10 feet, before he rolled in that 10-footer downhill without any apparent horror.

He had steadied himself again while others wobbled more — Bryson DeChambeau with an even-par 70 to finish at 3 under, Rory McIlroy with a 69 for 2 under, Justin Rose with a 71 to finish at 1 under. He looked again like that imperturbable sort who could only tell of the two years of wobbles that preceded.

“It’s been a long road,” he said of his recovery from a grisly dislocated kneecap. “... I know I seem like this big, bad, tough guy on the golf course that doesn’t smile, doesn’t do anything, but if you catch me off the golf course, I’ll let you know what’s going on.” He had done just that on a reality show where he spoke of his self-doubts, and he said retirement “definitely kind of crossed my mind,” and now he had traveled all the way back to himself, the great clincher.

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Brooks Koepka’s PGA Championship win is confirmation that he’s back

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka pulled slowly into the Oak Hill Country Club parking lot at 1:10 p.m. Sunday, arriving exactly one minute after Viktor Hovland, his partner in a 2:30 tee time. Koepka leaned to his right, an elbow atop the center console, and draped his left wrist over the steering wheel of his courtesy SUV. He pulled into a personalized parking spot with signage honoring his 2018 and ’19 PGA Championship wins. He backed up, straightened her out, pulled forward, and put it in park.

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Then Koepka walked the way Koepka walks. Impossibly unhurried. Shoulders pressed back. It’s like he’s never wanted the world to think he’s trying to get anywhere.

For a long time, this walk from Koepka framed so many championship Sundays. He was the one everyone was waiting for. He was the last to arrive. He was the one greeted by a backpedaling camera guy who captured every step as the broadcast cut to a live shot of The Man coming upon the scene.

In recent years, though? We kind of got used to not seeing him.

Sunday’s round with Hovland began in front of a massive gallery, just like the old days. Koepka hit his opening tee shot and there it was, more of that walk. After an opening par, Koepka birdied the second hole, pulled the ball out of the cup and took about 30 full seconds to walk off the green. His tee shot on No. 3 was followed by a stroll pulled straight from a John Woo film.

As he has done for most of his professional career, Koepka did exactly what he wanted Sunday. A glacial front nine produced a 1-under 34. A heated back nine seeing him and Hovland trading blows, competition boiling, sped things up. Koepka’s gait moved him across the land, in control, those shoulders pushed back even further. A 2-under 33 made for a 3-under 67 and, like that, a new sign for the parking space.

Koepka was the 2023 PGA Champion.

I Got 5 on It 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/IqAI0jx7yk — Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) May 22, 2023

Everything that happened at Oak Hill this weekend occurred according to Koepka’s schedule. It’s been a while since he could say that and, in some ways, it felt appropriate for a player whose road back from near-oblivion rarely went as planned. At the darkest times, it seemed his playing days might befall an end known by an unfortunate company of injured greats. Such a fate would’ve been cruel. He is, without question, one of the finest players in modern golf history. This victory in Rochester makes him just the third golfer to reach five major victories in the 21st century. The others are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, two others who know what it looks like to go to the brink and back.

After winning four majors in 2018 and ’19, Koepka tore his patella tendon in August 2019 and sustained a hip injury in 2020. Then, in March 2021, a gruesome injury. A slip and fall at home left Koepka on the ground with a dislocated knee. He tried to put the knee back in place, but instead shattered his kneecap and tore his medial patellofemoral ligament, leaving his knee and foot pointing in different directions. A series of surgeries followed, even as Koepka tried to play through it.

All of this added up to Koepka’s career teetering. Is that why he joined LIV Golf and loaded his bank account with all that up-front money? Yeah, probably. We essentially got first-hand proof in “Full Swing,” the Netflix docuseries chronicling the 2022 season in professional golf.

There are some things you can’t unsee, and this was one. Koepka has long been a star with a well-crafted, very exact image. The whole look. All Nike head-to-toe. Custom kicks. Tan. Dimples. Stubble. Biceps. Actress wife. Happy to present himself as cooler than the shmucks on the PGA Tour . Happy to suggest he’s an actual professional athlete, one who just happens to play golf.

The documentary was jarring. Episode 2 focused in large part on Koepka. Or at least this injured, broken-down version of him. The times were dark and the hair was bleached. He was broken, physically and emotionally.

“It’s like, I got a taste of it, right?” Koepka said then of bygone success. “And now it’s all I want. It’s all I want.”

It was unclear if Koepka was questioning just his body, or himself, too.

Sunday evening, standing next to the Wanamaker Trophy, he was asked about it.

“It’s tough — it’s very hard to explain,” he responded. “It’s just, like, you can’t fathom how difficult it is just to get going. I mean, it was a lot worse than I let on to you guys, let on to everybody. Maybe only five, six people really know the extent of it, and it’s just — it was hard.”

That was Koepka’s world for roughly two years. The swelling in his knee only went down a few months ago.

So, yes, whether you particularly care for him or not, this past week is all the more impressive. Koepka began with an opening 2-over 72 on Thursday, saying it was “the worst I’ve hit it in a really long time.” Then he answered with a second-round 66 to jump back in the mix. On a rain-soaked Saturday, a day when only nine players in the field broke par, he posted a second straight 66 to carry a one-shot lead into the final round.

Back in the day, Koepka would’ve been an unquestioned favorite heading into Sunday. But these are different days. Last month at Augusta National, Koepka announced his return to form by leading the Masters after both the second and third rounds. That ended, though, with a fourth-round 75 and a congratulatory handshake offered to Jon Rahm.

“He just hadn’t been in that position for a while and it showed,” said Ricky Elliott, Koepka’s caddie.

Entering this Sunday, it was unclear how much of the Koepka-of-old was still in there.

But that was answered quickly.

After going 1-over on Oak Hill’s front nine over the PGA’s first three days (vs. 7-under on the back), Koepka birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 4 to build a three-shot lead Sunday before home viewers could even settle in for the afternoon broadcast. From there, the pending result already felt like a foregone conclusion.

Well, that is, until the sixth tee, when Koepka opted for driver instead of 3-wood and pumped one into the right marsh. He took bogey, followed it with another, and the door remained open for others.

Hovland was still alive. So was Scottie Scheffler and others. Cameron Smith was blitzing the course and going low. These guys, they’ve emerged on the scene as Koepka receded from it. This wasn’t lost on Team Koepka.

“You only need an average six months out here and, as everybody is right now, guys will just fly by you,” Elliott said. “If you’re not winning, you’re not really relevant, are you?”

Elliott has worked for Koepka since the 2013 PGA at Oak Hill. Back then, Koepka was paired with Woods on Sunday. At one point that morning, Elliott had to nudge Koepka, tell him to stop watching Woods and focus on his own game. All this time later, it was Koepka sauntering around, unbothered.

“I’ve got to slow down,” Koepka said Sunday, describing his style on these stages. “I’ve got to take my time and really just kind of assess things. I don’t think my hands shake or my heart rate gets up. I don’t think about the next shot. I just think about what’s going on.”

This is why Koepka looked unchanged, whether rolling in a birdie putt on No. 10, or leaving a tee shot two clubs short on the par-3 11th, or rolling in another birdie on No. 12. He played his round and often walked alone, leaving a path of well-pressed footprints and dip spit.

With Hovland trying to push into the mix, Koepka matched both a birdie on No. 14 and a par on No. 15. On 16, young Hovland blinked. A drive into a right fairway bunker ended up perilously close to a raised grass front. Roles reversed, Koepka would’ve likely taken his medicine, played it out safely, and hoped to get up and down to stay in the fight. It’s one of the reasons he’s won five of these things. But Hovland? He’s 25. And he swung a full 9-iron, embedding the ball in the bunker wall, then resting his chin on his fist, wondering what he was thinking.

Hovland left with a double bogey. Koepka left with a four-shot lead.

“He is not going to give you anything, and I didn’t really feel like I gave him anything either, until 16,” Hovland said.

And that was that. Koepka closed the tournament with a 9-under 271, two shots clear of Hovland and Scheffler. His win came 1,463 days after his last major win — the 2019 PGA at Bethpage. Back then, Koepka seemed invincible. In time, his body proved otherwise.

Nevertheless, Sunday didn’t end with tears or Koepka breaking down for everyone to see. He mostly played it cool. Some things never change.

That dynamic is, at this point, unavoidable when it comes to Koepka. He’s now the first LIV player to win a major, and it’s irrevocably part of his story.

On No. 9, a fan yelled, “Let’s go Vik! Brooks is gonna choke!” and got a stare-down from Elliott. On No. 13, another yelled “Get in the water!” after a Koepka tee shot, drawing another Elliott glare. On No. 17, a voice beside the green hollered, “Sellout!” as Koepka finished up a bogey.

“I hear it all,” Koepka said. “I just don’t care. I mean, that’s sports, right?”

The lone crack in Koepka’s exterior came on his walk from the 18th green to the scoring tent. An expecting first-time father, the 33-year-old has a lot happening in his life. On his way to sign his card, that’s when it all set in and he swallowed some emotion.

“It was what I accomplished,” Koepka said an hour or so later, remembering the walk. “Pardon my language, but it’s all the f—ing s— I had to go through. No one knows. No one knows all the pain.”

With that sentiment, as only he can, Koepka ended his Sunday.

He’s the sixth player to win three PGA Championships. The others: Walter Hagen (6), Jack Nicklaus (5), Woods (4), Gene Sarazen (3) and Sam Snead (3). The hardest part about Koepka’s play being halted was always that history was being slowed with it. He had every right to be bitter about it.

But now Koepka has somewhere to be. Next, he’s slated for a LIV event later this week in Washington D.C., then the U.S. Open in Los Angeles in mid-June. He’ll get there at his own pace. As of 9:30 p.m. Sunday, that white Escalade was the only one left in the lot.

(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

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Brendan Quinn is an senior enterprise writer for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic in 2017 from MLive Media Group, where he covered Michigan and Michigan State basketball. Prior to that, he covered Tennessee basketball for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Follow Brendan on Twitter @ BFQuinn

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Brooks Koepka becomes first LIV golfer to win major with US PGA triumph

• Challenge of Viktor Hovland falters in bunker on 16th hole
• Club pro Michael Block hits spectacular hole in one

The cheers for Brooks Koepka’s US PGA Championship victory reverberated from Rochester to Riyadh. For the American, a fifth major title which places him alongside names such as Byron Nelson and Peter Thomson in golf’s pantheon of greats. He becomes only the 20th golfer in history to reach five. Arnold Palmer, who claimed seven, is within view. Koepka’s return from his darkest days, when it looked as if injury could curtail his career, is complete.

He cut an uncharacteristically emotional figure on the final green, doubtless reflecting on his earlier physical distress. Koepka said: “This is probably the sweetest one of them all because of all the hard work that went into this one. This one is definitely special.”

For LIV itself, there is validation that its much-maligned format does indeed have competitive merit. Perhaps Greg Norman can convince his Saudi Arabian paymasters that the LIV project is worthy of enhanced time and investment now that one of its players has seen off what is widely described as the strongest field in golf. Norman must be purring at Koepka’s success. Not so Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour; with Cameron Smith, the Open champion, now also a LIV golfer, the traditional ecosystem is minus two of four current major holders.

Zach Johnson, the US Ryder Cup captain, surely cannot ignore this particular LIV rebel now or the conversation around him. Team Europe would have cause to fear Koepka in Rome in September. His 67 meant the margin of victory was two, at nine under par, from Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler. The champion opened this tournament with a two-over-par 72.

Koepka’s mission was to prevent Oak Hill from turning into Choke Hill. He must have felt extra pressure, given the final-round collapse which denied him a win at the Masters last month. He started like a man on a mission, with birdies on three of the first four holes to afford himself a three-shot lead over Hovland.

When a procession looked likely, the golfing gods had other ideas. Koepka lost his ball from the tee at the sixth, triggering the first of two successive bogeys. Hovland pulled his playing partner level for a hole, the Norwegian also dropping a shot at the 7th. Birdies at the 10th and 12th for Koepka arrived either side of a pretty useful bogey at the short 11th. The Floridian’s tee shot had stuck in the face of a greenside bunker. By now, Scheffler had crept on to the scene with three birdies between the 10th and 14th. Koepka holed out impressively for par at the 13th to keep Hovland one adrift and Scheffler two back.

Hovland converted for a birdie at the 14th to tie Koepka again, but only for a matter of seconds. Nine under played eight under, with Scheffler running out of holes when minus six after 15. Disaster was to strike for Hovland at the 16th. After finding a fairway bunker from the tee, the 25-year-old cracked his second shot straight into the face of the sand trap. Clearly rattled, Hovland was to tap in for a double bogey six. Koepka’s birdie three meant he led by four at 10 under; game over.

Scheffler’s birdie at the last – his inward nine was of just 31 strokes – afforded him the runners-up spot alone until Hovland also closed out with a three. This felt a fair reflection of events given Hovland had traded blows with Koepka for so long. Kurt Kitayama, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Davis shared fourth at three under.

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When Rory McIlroy hit his approach to within two feet of the cup at the first, hopes were raised that the Northern Irishman could make a charge towards the leaders. He had started the day five adrift of Koepka. Bogeys at the 2nd, 4th and 7th undid more fine work by McIlroy on the front nine. The playing of that half in level-par 35 was never likely to be enough.

McIlroy picked up further shots at the 10th and 13th to edge inside the top five but had to settle for a share of seventh after a bogey on the 15th. He admitted thereafter that he had little expectation coming into the US PGA as he continues to battle technical flaws. He must change that scenario before next month’s US Open.

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While glory belonged to Koepka, the most endearing moment of day four was delivered by Michael Block. The club professional, who is ranked outside the top 3,000 golfers in the world, had defied all logic not only by making the cut but maintaining a place on the leaderboard. Block had McIlroy for Sunday company.

Galleries exploded with delight at the par-three 15th as Block’s tee shot slammed straight into the hole. McIlroy was visibly delighted for his playing partner, whose disbelief was similarly plain. Block’s perfect seven iron, from 151 yards, will stay with anyone who witnessed it for ever. “It was an amazing golf shot,” said McIlroy.

McIlroy and Block were again in warm embrace on the 72nd green. Block’s tie for 15th will earn him close to $300,000 and surely further opportunity in elite environments.

Koepka’s LIV status is such that the $3.15m (£2.53m) cash prize for success at Oak Hill is basically irrelevant to him. Far more significant has proved to all doubters that he remains a true force.

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Brooks Koepka Major Wins - How Many Has He Won?

The American has one of the most formidable Major records, but how many has he actually won?

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Brooks Koepka is one of the biggest names in golf, shooting to fame with a scintillating run at the Majors from 2017 to 2019. The American tuned pro in 2012, opting to begin his career in Europe until earning his PGA Tour card for the 2014/15 season. 

From there, he went from strength to strength, establishing himself as the game's dominant force, before injuries and a loss of form saw him struggle.

He made the move to LIV Golf, believing he couldn't match the PGA Tour stars due to his struggles, but he came roaring back when fit and confident in 2023.

It's often said a golfer's career is judged on how many Majors they win, so how many does Koepka have? 

How Many Majors Has Brooks Koepka Won?

Koepka has won five Majors, the first four all in a remarkable three-year run in which he established himself as the best player in the world. He captured his first Major at the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills. 

It was an unusually low-scoring affair at America's national championship, as a final-round 67 saw Koepka come from one behind to claim a four-shot victory over Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama . Incredibly, he would win his second Major at the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills , becoming the first player to defend his title since Curtis Strange in 1989.

Koepka wouldn't have to wait long for his third Major, holding off a certain Tiger Woods less than two months later to win the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club.

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His then survived a late scare in 2019 to successfully defend his PGA Championship at Bethpage Black and capture his fourth Major.

Then came injury, loss of confidence, a move to LIV Golf and insightful appearance on the Netflix 'Full Swing' docu-series before he finally found his way back.

He looked all out the winner at the 2023 Masters before he choked away the lead , in his own words, to Jon Rahm , but he insisted he had found out why and would use that the next time he was in contention.

And that next time came in the very next Major just a month later when he looked like the strutting, confident Koepka of old as he won the 2023 PGA Championship - lifting the Wanamaker Trophy for a third time.

Koepka started the final round at Oak Hill just a shot ahead of Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners but never flinched, carding a three-under 67 to beat Hovland and Scottie Scheffler by two.

He's now just the 20th player ever to win five Majors, joining the likes of the great Seve Ballesteros, Peter Thomson and Byron Nelson in the all-time list so will already go down as one of the best around - and he's not done yet.

"It's crazy. I try not to think of it right now," Koepka said after winning at Oak Hill. "I do care about it. It's just tough to really grasp the situation kind of while you're still in it, I think.

"When I'm retired and I can look back with Jena and my son and kind of reflect on all that stuff, that will be truly special, but right now I'm trying to collect as many of these things as I can. We'll see how it goes."

Brooks Koepka Major Record

Understandably, Koepka became known as something of a Major specialist during his assault to the top of the men's game, and after a down year with injuries he was right back to form. As well as his five victories, he has a number of top-10 finishes since his first appearance at the 2012 US Open. 

In fact, in 2019, he finished in the top-five at all four Majors, picking up one win. He is yet to win The Masters or The Open but has come close at both and will no doubt be keen to add them to his roll of honour and complete the career Grand Slam.

Here is his record in the four Majors:

The Masters Appearances: 8 Best finish: T2 (2019, 2023)

The PGA Championship Appearances: 11 Best finish: 1 (2018, 2019, 2023)

The US Open Appearances: 9 Best finish: 1 (2017, 2018)

The Open Appearances: 8 Best finish: T4 (2019)

A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he decided to go freelance and now covers a variety of topics for Golf Monthly. 

Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.

As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.

What's in Andy's bag?

Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)

Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)

Irons: Mizuno mp32 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)

Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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Brooks Koepka major wins: What Koepka has won already

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka is chasing his fourth career major title at the PGA Championship on Sunday at Bethpage Black.

Even at 29 years old, Koepka has already put together an impressive resume, and he shines in the big-time events. He entered this week with five PGA Tour wins, three of which were major titles. (He’s of the few players who has more major titles than regular PGA Tour victories.)

At Tuesday’s press conference he actually explained why he thinks winning majors is easier than winning regular events.

“One hundred fifty-six in the field, so you figure at least 80 of them I’m just going to beat,” he said. “From there, the other — you figure about half of them won’t play well from there, so you’re down to about maybe 35. And then from 35, some of them just — pressure is going to get to them. It only leaves you with a few more, and you’ve just got to beat those guys.”

Koepka won his first tournament at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open and won his first major in 2017, when he took the U.S. Open at Erin Hills by four over Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama.

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That was the first of three straight major victories for Koepka. He repeated at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and then won the PGA Championship at Bellerive two months later. His second PGA Tour win, and fifth victory overall, came last October at the CJ Cup in South Korea.

If Koepka finishes off the field on Sunday at the PGA Championship, it will be his fourth major title, which would tie for 20th all-time and give him the same amount of major wins as Ernie Els, Raymond Floyd and Rory McIlroy, to name a few.

• Brooks Koepka

• Birthday: 05/03/1990
• College: Florida State University

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Brooks Koepka wins second LIV event, is ‘finally healthy’ as he sets sights on Augusta

Brooks Koepka celebrates winning on the 18th hole Sunday at LIV Golf's Orlando event at Orange County National.

Mike Ehrmann

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka signified his return to full fitness on the eve of Masters week with the second victory of his LIV Golf career.

Plagued with injuries to patella tendons in both legs and in his right kneecap in recent years, which required surgery, Koepka left the PGA Tour last summer as an eight-time winner for a lucrative deal with LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed rival league which offered huge signing bonuses and 54-hole events with no cut and $25 million purses.

Koepka shot a final-round three-under-par 68 Sunday at LIV’s Orlando tournament at Orange County National, the former host to the PGA Tour’s Q School. He posted a 15-under total (198) to win by one shot over Colombia’s Sebastián Muñoz (66).

Former Masters champion Patrick Reed (67) and South Africa’s Dean Burmester (64) tied for third.

MORE: Here is the prize money payout for each golfer at the LIV Golf event in Orlando

Koepka won his second LIV title since joining the league in June last year, having also claimed the event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Koepka won $4 million for the individual victory and $375,000 for his quarter of his Smash GC team winning $1.5 million for its second-place finish. Captain Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC won the $5 million team portion of the event.

The 32-year-old Koepka became the first player among LIV’s 48-player roster to win two of its individual tournaments.

Koepka said the second was more satisfying than his victory in Saud Arabia, despite that one being emotional given it ended a 20-month win drought for a player who, from 2017 to 2019, was among the most feared golfers in the world. In Saudi Arabia, Koepka had said his injuries raised fears that he “didn't know if my career was over for a second.”

“Yeah I think [it’s more rewarding than Jeddah],” Koepka said Sunday in Orlando. “Look at everything I've been through. I'm finally healthy man. It’s nice to play some good golf.

“It gives me chills to think about the capabilities [I have] do when I'm healthy and everything going into next week, it’s good to see.”

RELATED: Greg Norman says all LIV golfers will celebrate on 18 if one of their own wins the Masters

Next week, of course, is the 87th Masters at Augusta National, where Koepka and 17 other LIV golfers will tee up. Koepka has unfinished business at Augusta, having tied for second place to Tiger Woods during Woods’ epic 2019 victory—his fifth Masters green jacket.

LIV’s Orlando venue—the Crooked Cat course at Orange County National—was criticized for a lack of quality and challenge to elite players, but Koepka said that should not be the case.

“I actually think this was a good test for Augusta greens,” Koepka said. “The greens were fast, similar to Augusta and on some good slopes. I'm just happy to get the win.”

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2024 PGA Championship odds, field: Surprising PGA picks from golf model that's won 11 majors

Sportsline's proven model simulated the pga championship 2024 10,000 times and revealed its pga golf picks for valhalla golf club.

Unlike the other majors, the PGA Championship is the only that is exclusive to professional golfers. No amateurs will be a part of the 2024 PGA Championship field when play tees off Thursday, May 16 from Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. The field of pros hopes to take advantage of what has historically been a course with numerous birdie opportunities, as the average winning score from the three previous PGA Championships at Valhalla is 15-under-par. Rory McIlroy won the last major held at this course in 2014, while Brooks Koepka enters the PGA Championship 2024 as the defending champion.

McIlroy (10-1) and Koepka (16-1) are looking up to Scottie Scheffler in the 2024 PGA Championship odds. The Masters winner is the 4-1 PGA Championship favorite, followed by Jon Rahm (9-1). Ludvig Aberg, who was runner-up at the Masters in his first major start, is 16-1. Before locking in any 2024 PGA Championship picks of your own, entering PGA DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings or FanDuel, or finalizing PGA Championship props and PGA Championship Pick Six entries, be sure to see the 2024 PGA Championship golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up almost $10,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scottie Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Jon Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

In addition, McClure's best bets included Nick Taylor (70-1) winning the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, Jason Day (17-1) winning outright at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson, and Rickie Fowler (14-1) finishing on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 11 majors entering the weekend and hit the Masters three straight years. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now with the PGA Championship 2024 field taking shape, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

Top 2024 PGA Championship predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka, a three-time PGA champion and one of the favorites, stumbles and doesn't even crack the top 10. Koepka has five major tournament wins on his resume and a reputation for elevating his level of play in big events. However, his last two major starts haven't gone well as he was 45th at the Masters, which followed a 64th-place finish at last year's Open Championship. He's failed to shoot par in each of his last seven rounds at major tournaments.

After notching three tournament wins in 2023, including last year's PGA Championship, it has been tough sledding for Koepka in 2024. He has no victories, or even top-fives, and across his six starts, he has three times as many finishes outside the top 25 (three) as he has inside the top 10 (one). He played Valhalla at the 2014 PGA Championship and finished in a tie for 15th place, but that placement ranks just eighth out of his 11 career PGA Championship starts.

Another surprise: Justin Thomas, a 31-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Thomas hasn't had the best run at recent majors, as he's missed the cut in four of his last five majors. However, the one cut he made was at last year's PGA Championship, and this is clearly his favorite major event. He won this tournament just two years ago, his second victory after also being the 2017 PGA champion. Also, Thomas has had more top-fives at the PGA Championship than top-fives at every other major tournament combined.

Thomas is off to a solid start this season, with a pair of top-10s. He also has strong metrics across the board, ranking among the top 12 of the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, birdie average and strokes gained: approach the green. Add in that Thomas is a Louisville native who will have the fan support at a major he's most comfortable at and he has a much better chance to win than his long PGA Championship 2024 odds imply, according to the model.  See who else to pick here .

How to make 2024 PGA Championship picks

The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 25-1 or longer to make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's picks here .

Who will win the 2024 PGA Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the PGA Championship 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected PGA Championship leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 11 golf majors, including the last three Masters .

2024 PGA Championship odds, field

Get full 2024 PGA Championship picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Scottie Scheffler 4-1 Jon Rahm 9-1 Rory McIlroy 10-1 Ludvig Aberg 16-1 Brooks Koepka 16-1 Xander Schauffele 18-1 Viktor Hovland 20-1 Patrick Cantlay 20-1 Wyndham Clark 20-1 Cameron Smith 22-1 Joaquin Niemann 22-1 Collin Morikawa 25-1 Sam Burns 25-1 Max Homa 25-1 Matt Fitzpatrick 28-1 Tom Kim 28-1 Jordan Spieth 30-1 Bryson DeChambeau 30-1 Tony Finau 30-1 Dustin Johnson 30-1 Justin Thomas 33-1 Hideki Matsuyama 35-1 Jason Day 35-1 Cameron Young 35-1 Tommy Fleetwood 40-1 Rickie Fowler 45-1 Min Woo Lee 50-1 Sungjae Im 50-1 Shane Lowry 50-1 Tyrrell Hatton 50-1 Brian Harman 55-1 Corey Conners 60-1 Patrick Reed 65-1 Justin Rose 65-1 Russell Henley 65-1 Sahith Theegala 65-1 Keegan Bradley 75-1 Adam Scott 80-1 Talor Gooch 90-1 Gary Woodland 100-1 Kurt Kitayama 100-1 Daniel Berger 100-1 Louis Oosthuizen 125-1 Tiger Woods 125-1 Si Woo Kim 125-1 Keith Mitchell 125-1 Thomas Pieters 125-1 Abraham Ancer 125-1 J.T. Poston 125-1 Sepp Straka 125-1 Mito Pereira 150-1 Harris English 150-1 Phil Mickelson 150-1 Ryan Fox 150-1 Adam Hadwin 150-1 Sergio Garcia 150-1 Seamus Power 175-1 Denny McCarthy 175-1 Robert MacIntyre 175-1 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 175-1 Davis Riley 175-1 Aaron Wise 175-1 Marc Leishman 175-1 Billy Horschel 200-1 Harold Varner III 200-1 Jason Kokrak 200-1 Mackenzie Hughes 225-1 Francisco Molinari 225-1 Joel Dahmen 250-1

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Where does 9-over rank for five-time major champion Brooks Koepka in his Masters career?

Turns out Trump National Doral wasn't such a great Masters tune-up for Brooks Koepka.

Koepka talked about honing his game at the LIV event last weekend, saying the entire week was about checking off the final boxes of his preparation for the year's first major.

Koepka may need another strategy next year.

After finishing tied for second in 2023, Koepka, 33, had his worst week at Augusta National Golf Course, other than missing the cut in 2022. The Jupiter resident finished at 9-over 297, four shots higher than his previous worst score. He finished with a 75 Sunday after rounds of 73, 73, 76.

The five-time major champion, who continues to chase his first green jacket, was tied for 45th.

More: Jupiter's Brooks Koepka believes he will win a lot more majors. But how many?

After carding a 65, 67 in 2023 - and at one time leading by five shots - Koepka now has been over par for six consecutive rounds at August National Golf Club. He carded his two highest scores of his Masters career this weekend: 75 (his fourth time) and 76, which occurred one other time, the third round in 2016.

Koepka's fifth major came at last year's PGA Championship at Oak Hill. He will attempt to defend his title next month at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. He has won the PGA Championship three times.

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].

2024 PGA Championship odds, field: Surprising PGA picks from golf model that's won 11 majors

U nlike the other majors, the PGA Championship is the only that is exclusive to professional golfers. No amateurs will be a part of the 2024 PGA Championship field when play tees off Thursday, May 16 from Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. The field of pros hopes to take advantage of what has historically been a course with numerous birdie opportunities, as the average winning score from the three previous PGA Championships at Valhalla is 15-under-par. Rory McIlroy won the last major held at this course in 2014, while Brooks Koepka enters the PGA Championship 2024 as the defending champion.

McIlroy (10-1) and Koepka (16-1) are looking up to Scottie Scheffler in the 2024 PGA Championship odds. The Masters winner is the 4-1 PGA Championship favorite, followed by Jon Rahm (9-1). Ludvig Aberg, who was runner-up at the Masters in his first major start, is 16-1. Before locking in any 2024 PGA Championship picks of your own, entering PGA DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings or FanDuel, or finalizing PGA Championship props and PGA Championship Pick Six entries, be sure to see the 2024 PGA Championship golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up almost $10,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scottie Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Jon Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

In addition, McClure's best bets included Nick Taylor (70-1) winning the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, Jason Day (17-1) winning outright at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson, and Rickie Fowler (14-1) finishing on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 11 majors entering the weekend and hit the Masters three straight years. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.

Now with the PGA Championship 2024 field taking shape, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

Top 2024 PGA Championship predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka, a three-time PGA champion and one of the favorites, stumbles and doesn't even crack the top 10. Koepka has five major tournament wins on his resume and a reputation for elevating his level of play in big events. However, his last two major starts haven't gone well as he was 45th at the Masters, which followed a 64th-place finish at last year's Open Championship. He's failed to shoot par in each of his last seven rounds at major tournaments.

After notching three tournament wins in 2023, including last year's PGA Championship, it has been tough sledding for Koepka in 2024. He has no victories, or even top-fives, and across his six starts, he has three times as many finishes outside the top 25 (three) as he has inside the top 10 (one). He played Valhalla at the 2014 PGA Championship and finished in a tie for 15th place, but that placement ranks just eighth out of his 11 career PGA Championship starts.

Another surprise: Justin Thomas, a 31-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Thomas hasn't had the best run at recent majors, as he's missed the cut in four of his last five majors. However, the one cut he made was at last year's PGA Championship, and this is clearly his favorite major event. He won this tournament just two years ago, his second victory after also being the 2017 PGA champion. Also, Thomas has had more top-fives at the PGA Championship than top-fives at every other major tournament combined.

Thomas is off to a solid start this season, with a pair of top-10s. He also has strong metrics across the board, ranking among the top 12 of the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, birdie average and strokes gained: approach the green. Add in that Thomas is a Louisville native who will have the fan support at a major he's most comfortable at and he has a much better chance to win than his long PGA Championship 2024 odds imply, according to the model.  See who else to pick here .

How to make 2024 PGA Championship picks

The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 25-1 or longer to make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's picks here .

Who will win the 2024 PGA Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the PGA Championship 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected PGA Championship leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 11 golf majors, including the last three Masters .

2024 PGA Championship odds, field

Get full 2024 PGA Championship picks, best bets, and predictions here.

Scottie Scheffler 4-1

Jon Rahm 9-1

Rory McIlroy 10-1

Ludvig Aberg 16-1

Brooks Koepka 16-1

Xander Schauffele 18-1

Viktor Hovland 20-1

Patrick Cantlay 20-1

Wyndham Clark 20-1

Cameron Smith 22-1

Joaquin Niemann 22-1

Collin Morikawa 25-1

Sam Burns 25-1

Max Homa 25-1

Matt Fitzpatrick 28-1

Tom Kim 28-1

Jordan Spieth 30-1

Bryson DeChambeau 30-1

Tony Finau 30-1

Dustin Johnson 30-1

Justin Thomas 33-1

Hideki Matsuyama 35-1

Jason Day 35-1

Cameron Young 35-1

Tommy Fleetwood 40-1

Rickie Fowler 45-1

Min Woo Lee 50-1

Sungjae Im 50-1

Shane Lowry 50-1

Tyrrell Hatton 50-1

Brian Harman 55-1

Corey Conners 60-1

Patrick Reed 65-1

Justin Rose 65-1

Russell Henley 65-1

Sahith Theegala 65-1

Keegan Bradley 75-1

Adam Scott 80-1

Talor Gooch 90-1

Gary Woodland 100-1

Kurt Kitayama 100-1

Daniel Berger 100-1

Louis Oosthuizen 125-1

Tiger Woods 125-1

Si Woo Kim 125-1

Keith Mitchell 125-1

Thomas Pieters 125-1

Abraham Ancer 125-1

J.T. Poston 125-1

Sepp Straka 125-1

Mito Pereira 150-1

Harris English 150-1

Phil Mickelson 150-1

Ryan Fox 150-1

Adam Hadwin 150-1

Sergio Garcia 150-1

Seamus Power 175-1

Denny McCarthy 175-1

Robert MacIntyre 175-1

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 175-1

Davis Riley 175-1

Aaron Wise 175-1

Marc Leishman 175-1

Billy Horschel 200-1

Harold Varner III 200-1

Jason Kokrak 200-1

Mackenzie Hughes 225-1

Francisco Molinari 225-1

Joel Dahmen 250-1

2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds, picks, Fantasy golf power rankings: PGA Tour predictions, expert best bets

After the Rory McIlroy-Shane Lowry team won in a playoff at last week's Zurich Classic, the PGA Tour returns to its individual stroke play format for this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson event in Texas. A full field of 156 golfers will compete for a $9.5 million purse for the third 2024 event in the Lone Star State. 

Jordan Spieth is the +1600 favorite, followed by defending champion Jason Day (+1800), Si Woo Kim (+2000), Will Zalatoris (+2200), Adam Scott and Alex Noren (+2500).

With a competitive field again this week, who can you trust for your CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf picks? Before you set your 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf lineups or make any PGA Tour bets, you NEED to see the Fantasy golf rankings from Fantasy expert Eric Cohen .

Cohen is an avid golf bettor who correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winner of the 2024 Players Championship (Scottie Scheffler +550), 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic (Rickie Fowler +1400), 2023 PGA Championship (Brooks Koepka +2000), 2023 Honda Classic (Chris Kirk +3500), 2022 Open Championship (Cameron Smith +2200), 2022 U.S. Open (Matt Fitzpatrick +2500), and 2022 Phoenix Open (Scheffler's first career victory at +2800). 

Eric is a contributor to SportsLine's YouTube shows including "Early Edge" and is the host of "The Early Wedge" golf show (live on Tuesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. ET).  Anyone who has followed Cohen's predictions has made positive gains on their golf picks.

Now, Cohen has studied the field set to play at TPC Craig Ranch and revealed his CJ Cup Byron Nelson Fantasy golf rankings. 

We can tell you he is backing Alex Noren as his top choice this week despite having no PGA Tour victories on his resume. "The Swede has made the cut in 14 straight events, despite only finishing in the top 10 once since January. The ball-striking numbers have been good and the putter has mostly cooperated en route to a slew of top-20s of late. Between 2009-18, he won 10 events on the DP World Tour and might be the best player on the PGA Tour without a victory."

On the other hand, Cohen is fading Will Zalatoris at +2200. "Once again, the putter is plaguing Zalatoris, as he's lost strokes on the greens in four straight stroke play events. He's also not the type of player to thrive in birdie fest events."

Cohen also is backing several underdogs in his 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson Fantasy golf picks, including a triple-digit longshot who would be a nice piece for DFS lineups ! If this player can pull off a stunning result, it would bring a HUGE payoff and be a valuable piece for CJ Cup Byron Nelson Fantasy golf lineups. You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is before locking in any fantasy golf picks.

Who wins the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch ,  a nd which triple-digit longshots could bring a HUGE payout and be the difference for your Fantasy golf picks? Join SportsLine now to get Eric Cohen's Fantasy golf rankings and picks for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, all from the Fantasy expert who has delivered a positive ROI with his golf picks !

GET VEGAS EXPERT PICKS FOR NFL, MLB, NBA, CBB, GOLF, NHL, HORSE RACING AND MORE - PLUS ADVANCED COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, WINNING TOOLS, AND MORE!

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Brendan Steele wins LIV Golf Adelaide tournament from fast-finishing Louis Oosthuizen

Individual Champion Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC poses with the trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Individual Champion Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC kisses the trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC hits his shot from the third tee during the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC hits his shot from the first tee during the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

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ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele held off a fast finishing Louis Oosthuizen to win the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club by one stoke.

The 41-year-old Steele shot a final round 68 Sunday for a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 to earn his first victory since he won his second Safeway Open in 2017 on the PGA Tour.

Steele had a streak of five consecutive birdies early in the round, before some putting jitters appeared in his back nine to open the door for a fast finishing pack of challenges including Oosthuizen, and former previous Masters winners Charl Schwartzel (64) and Jon Rahm (64).

“Yeah, I was telling myself that I knew there was going to be hard moments today regardless of the result and that I just needed to get back in there and start playing with freedom again,” Steele said moments after winning.

“And, and I was able to hit some good shots after that and write the show.”

South Africa’s Oosthuizen shot 65 to finish second at 17-under 199, and had drawn within one stroke of Steele late in Sunday’s final round, only for the American to make some clutch pars in the final holes to clinch victory.

Oosthuizen’s compatriot Schwartzel and Rahm were among a group of five players at 16-under 200, with Joaquin Niemann (66), Andy Ogletree (65) and Dean Burgmester (67) in a tie for third.

Former world No.1 Rahm had an eagle and six birdies in his 8-under 64 but had left too much ground to catch up on Steele on the final day to capture his first title since joining the LlV tour in December.

Last year’s winner Talor Gooch shot 70 and finshed in a tie for 26th at 10-under.

Some of the LIV Golf’s biggest names were also off the pace this week, including Brooks Koepka (nine-under), Dustin Johnson (nine-under), Phil Mickelson (seven-under) and Sergio Garcia (six under).

Australian team Ripper GC, led by local favorite Cameron Smith, with Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert, won the teams format on the second playoff hole against the South African-based team, Stingers GC, to the delight of another large and boisterous crowd at The Grange course on Sunday.

The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there’s a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf