Take a look at five golfers who we think could give superstar Brooks Kopeka a run for his money at Pebble Beach this year.
Majors are when the top golfers look to build their legacy by winning golf’s biggest events against the biggest fields on the toughest courses. Over the past two years, no golfer has come close to Brooks Kopeka’s major run of success. On Sunday, Brooks won the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black with a final round 74 to finish at -8, two shots better than Dustin Johnson.
With Sunday’s PGA Championship win, Kopeka now has won four major since 2017 and will be looking to successfully defend his U.S. Open title for a third straight year at Pebble Beach. Despite Kopeka’s major dominance, several golfers will be looking for their own major title. Here are five golfers who will be looking to win their own major hardware.
Dustin Johnson
Like Kopeka, Dustin Johnson is a major threat at any golf tournament with his enormous power. Unlike Kopeka, Johnson has only won the 2016 U.S. Open, but he is usually contending in majors. Today, Johnson finished at -6, two shots behind Kopeka.
Johnson and Kopeka both finished one shot behind Tiger Woods at last month’s Masters. D.J. also has past damsons at Pebble Beach, where he led after three rounds of the 2010 U.S. Open before a final round 82 left him five shots behind eventual winner Graeme McDowell.
Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood’s game usually meshes itself with most courses. Whether filled with birdies, pars or bogeys, Fleetwood is a common pick to breakthrough for his first major. The U.S. Open has been where Fleetwood has been close to winning his first major. With a second and a fourth in his last two U.S. Opens, Fleetwood brings a rigid and streaky game to challenge Kopeka. During a tournament, Fleetwood’s putter can get hot, leading to a long stretch of birdies.
Matt Kuchar
Consistency can help get any golfer near the top of the leaderboard. Lately, Matt Kuchar is almost always finishing well at majors. Despite not being one of the longest drivers, Kooch amasses a few wins with many top-10s. Today, Kuchar ground his way around for his fifth top-10 major finish in the past three years. At the 2010 U.S. Open, Kuchar also picked up a top-10 finish at Pebble Beach.
Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele has quickly established himself as a perennial contender in majors. Xander may have struggled to a disappointing 76, but his recent major history cannot be forgotten.
Xander picked top-10 finishes in both U.S. Open starts. Schauffele finished in a tied for second alongside Kevin Kisner, two strokes behind Open champion Francesco Molinari. Schauffele also finished even Johnson and Kopeka at the Masters.
Rickie Fowler
Everyone has wondered when Rickie Fowler would breakthrough to win his first major. Heading into the 2019 PGA Championship, Fowler looked like a strong contender. After three solid rounds, a final round 77 left him at +7, 14 shots behind Kopeka. Fowler contended in the 2017 U.S. Open before finishing at -10, six shots behind Kopeka.
Despite winning four majors, Brooks Kopeka will have some hungry competitors looking to take some major headlines from him at Pebble Beach.