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Brooks Koepka eyeing both a win in Korea and No. 1 in the world

By David Salituro

Brooks Koepka of the US tees off on the sixteenth hole during the second round of the CJ Cup golf tournament at Nine Bridges golf club in Jeju Island on October 19, 2018. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
Brooks Koepka of the US tees off on the sixteenth hole during the second round of the CJ Cup golf tournament at Nine Bridges golf club in Jeju Island on October 19, 2018. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Brooks Koepka, who could take over the No. 1 spot in the world rankings with a win this week, sits just a shot off the lead after 36 holes at The CJ Cup in Korea.

Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson are known for being close friends and having friendly, and, at the Ryder Cup at least, not-so-friendly competitions. This week in Korea, it’s Koepka who’s looking to get the better of Johnson.

Koepka shot a seven-under 65 in the second round of The CJ Cup on Jeju Island on Friday and sits just a shot behind leader Scott Piercy after 36 holes. He will overtake Johnson for No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings with a win or solo second place finish this weekend.

He quickly made sure he’ll have a chance to do just that. Koepka had four birdies on his front-nine, the last coming from just off the green on the eighth hole. At the 18th, a 568-yard par-five, Koepka bombed his drive down the fairway, leaving him just 165 yards to the hole for his second shot. He hit his approach to within 10 feet and converted the eagle putt to finish off his round.

Koepka, while admitting he left some shots out on the course, says his plan for the weekend is not to change anything about his game.

“Just keep doing what I’m doing,” he said, PGATour.com reported, after his round. “I’m hitting it well, making putts. I feel like I probably could have shot about seven, eight-under on the front side, there. Missed a couple. But doing everything right and that’s what you got to do.”

Koepka is looking to get off to a good start in the 2018-19 PGA season and build off the success he had last year. He captured two major championships at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship on his way to winning PGA Player of the Year honors.

His season came to an end embroiled in controversy, however. Koepka and Johnson, gym partners at home in Florida, reportedly got into a fight in the team locker room after losing the Ryder Cup in Paris. Koepka denies the report, saying he and Johnson remain good friends.

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Currently third in the world rankings behind Johnson and Justin Rose, Koepka could leap to the top spot for the first time in his career with two more solid rounds in Korea. Neither Johnson or Rose is in the field this week.

Piercy, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, matched Koepka with a bogey-free round of 65 to take a one shot lead at nine-under. He won the Zurich Classic in New Orleans last season with Billy Horschel, but his last solo win came in 2015 at the Barbasol Championship.

First-round leader Chez Reavie, without a win on tour in more than 10 years, shot 70 on Friday to fall to third place. Justin Thomas, who could also take over the No. 1 spot with a win this week, is well back in 22nd place.

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