Fansided

Brooks Koepka running away with PGA Championship with 7-shot lead

By David Salituro

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Brooks Koepka of the United States plays his second shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the 2019 PGA Championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on May 17, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Brooks Koepka of the United States plays his second shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the 2019 PGA Championship on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on May 17, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) /
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Defending PGA Champion Brooks Koepka sets a new major championship record for lowest 36-hole score and leads by seven at Bethpage Black.

The famous sign by the first tee of Bethpage Black warns that the course is recommended only for highly skilled golfers. After two rounds of the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka certainly fits that category.

Koepka has made it look easy this week. The defending PGA Champion is at 12-under through 36 holes, setting a new major championship record with a total score of 128. He followed up Thursday’s record-tying round of 63 by shooting five-under 65 on Friday and leads Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott by seven shots, the largest 36-hole lead in PGA Championship history.

The three-time major champion picked up on Friday afternoon right where he left off. His drive at the first hole went 331 yards, leaving him just 59 yards for his approach shot that he hit to three feet for an opening birdie. His approach to the second came within 10 feet for his second straight birdie. At the par-five fourth hole, he hit the green in two shots and two-putted for his third birdie in his first four holes to get to double digits under par.

Koepka’s first blemish of the tournament came at the 10th when he failed to get up-and-down from the rough for his first bogey at the PGA Championship in 41 holes dating back to last year. There have been four previous PGA Tour events held at Bethpage Black; no one had ever gone the first 27 holes without making a bogey until Koepka.

Koepka came back with another two-putt birdie at the par-five 13th and followed that up with two spectacular approach shots. At the 15th he hit his second shot to three feet, then to five feet on the 16th for two more birdies. He three-putted for bogey at the par-three 17th but finished off his round by holing an 11-foot birdie putt at the 18th.

As good as his opening round 63 was, Koepka believes his 65 today was even better. “This probably sounds bad but today was a battle,” he said after the round. “I didn’t strike it that good. I was leaking a few to the right. But the way I hung in there today and battled it, that was probably more impressive than yesterday. Not having your A-game but still being able to shoot a great score. I was very, very pleased with the way I played today.”

Koepka’s stature in golf is quickly rising to the upper echelons of the sport. At the age of 29, he’s already won three of the past seven major championships he’s played in. He was also runner-up at the Masters last month. Playing with Tiger Woods, who beat him at Augusta National, for the first two days Koepka was 17 shots better than the 15-time major winner. While the enormous gallery came to watch Woods play, it was Koepka who gave them a show.

If there is any sense of a torch being passed from Woods to himself, however, Koepka isn’t feeling it. “I mean, I’ve got 11 more to go, or 12 more to go before that happens,” he said.

He’s well on his way to major No. 4 this week, and Woods had a front-row look at him dismantling the course the past two days. The sell-out crowd on the weekend that expected to see Woods inch closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record will now have to settle for watching what is quickly becoming more of a coronation for a player who’s lapping the field just like Woods used to do.

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