This article is part of our Weekly PGA Recap series.
Remember how we wrote last week about all the possibilities for Player of the Year? How it was such a wide-open race that could go down to the wire? Well, now you can forget about it. It's a done deal. The Player of the Year is Brooks Koepka, who held off a star-studded leaderboard, including Tiger Woods, to capture the PGA Championship on Sunday at Bellerive outside St. Louis.
Koepka was on our short list of favorites, but it was still somehow no less shocking to see him stoically go about his business just as he did two months ago at Shinnecock in successfully defending his U.S. Open title. You don't see guys win two majors in a year very often. Koepka not only won two this year, he did it while playing in only three – a wrist injury cost him four months and the Masters.
The 28-year-old Floridian now has won three majors, the same as Jordan Spieth and one shy of Rory McIlroy. And two ahead of still-good-friend-for-now Dustin Johnson. Johnson said he was pleased for his workout buddy after Koepka won the Open back in June, but how long can the relationship stay at the same level? Johnson still is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, but Koepka is now nipping at his heels and could overtake him as soon as the upcoming playoffs. It's one thing to remain cordial, it's another to hang out all the time with the guy who has taken what
Remember how we wrote last week about all the possibilities for Player of the Year? How it was such a wide-open race that could go down to the wire? Well, now you can forget about it. It's a done deal. The Player of the Year is Brooks Koepka, who held off a star-studded leaderboard, including Tiger Woods, to capture the PGA Championship on Sunday at Bellerive outside St. Louis.
Koepka was on our short list of favorites, but it was still somehow no less shocking to see him stoically go about his business just as he did two months ago at Shinnecock in successfully defending his U.S. Open title. You don't see guys win two majors in a year very often. Koepka not only won two this year, he did it while playing in only three – a wrist injury cost him four months and the Masters.
The 28-year-old Floridian now has won three majors, the same as Jordan Spieth and one shy of Rory McIlroy. And two ahead of still-good-friend-for-now Dustin Johnson. Johnson said he was pleased for his workout buddy after Koepka won the Open back in June, but how long can the relationship stay at the same level? Johnson still is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, but Koepka is now nipping at his heels and could overtake him as soon as the upcoming playoffs. It's one thing to remain cordial, it's another to hang out all the time with the guy who has taken what you cherish.
Here's something that already has gotten a lot of attention in the aftermath of Koepka's win: He has only one non-major win (at Phoenix way back in 2015). We know where Koepka stands in real golf: No. 2 in the world and rising. But what about fantasy golf? This is a conundrum for gamers. It seems Koepka cares more about the majors than the everyday grind of the Tour. Of course, every golfer gets more up for the big events, but it seems the gap is more disparate with Koepka. So is it harder to count on Koepka week-in and week-out?
Koepka has now played exactly 100 PGA Tour events. He has four wins and six seconds – that's 10 percent, which is pretty good. He also has 29 top-10s and 50 top-25s. We have to keep in mind that those numbers are proportionately much better of late. Let's compare him to some others in the top-10 of the OWGR, leaving off three guys who are much older: Johnson, Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari:
Jason Day, age 30: 227 starts, 12 wins, 10 seconds, 67 top-10s, 122 top-25s
Rickie Fowler, age 29: 211 starts, 4 wins, 13 seconds, 62 top-10s, 105 top-25s.
Rory McIlroy, age 29: 146 starts, 14 wins, 6 seconds, 65 top-10s, 92 top-25s.
Jordan Spieth, age 25: 147 starts, 11 wins, 13 seconds, 57 top-10s, 96 top-25s.
Justin Thomas, age 25: 113 starts, 9 wins, 2 seconds, 35 top-10s, 56 top-25s.
Jon Rahm, age 23: 49 starts, 2 wins, 4 seconds, 19 top-10s, 27 top-25s.
Koepka is behind the win pace of most of the guys, though ahead of Fowler and even with Rahm. From this quick, unscientific look, it appears that Koepka, though he surely wasn't as valuable to gamers in the past, can very well be so going forward.
MONDAY BACKSPIN
Tiger Woods
You probably saw it for yourself. There's not much more we can add. Woods shot an electrifying 64 on Sunday to finish solo second. He's now up to No. 26 in the world and No. 20 in the FedEx Cup point standings, and you have to wonder when he recently committed to the first two playoff events whether he expected to be this high this fast. If Woods is true to his word, we'll see him in two weeks at the Northern Trust at a new course, Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.
Adam Scott
Woods never tied for the lead, but Scott did. And even though Scott missed chances at the end, his solo third was his vest the result on the PGA Tour in more than two years, since he won the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship. Scott thus moved from outside the top 70 in the world to No. 45. He showed that he still has one of the sweetest swings in the game and can still summon his one-time elite tee-to-green game. It will be interesting to see what Scott does this week at the Wyndham, though it would not surprise us if he now withdrew. As of around noon EDT on Monday, he was still in. [Update: Scott withdrew from the Wyndham.]
Stewart Cink
Woods, Scott … Cink? It was like the Tour turned back the clock 10 years. The 45-year-old tied for fourth with Jon Rahm (who at 23 is nearly half his age). Cink led the field in strokes gained: tee to green.
He's now finished top-four in three of his past six events, and he's close to being assured of playing in at least three of the four playoff events. This surely is Cink's best year since he last win in 2009 and perhaps even longer. He's now up to No. 70 in the world. Late word: Cink withdrew from the Wyndham.
Jon Rahm
We've been on Rahm's case for his so-so showings in majors, albeit with a small sample size. But he finished fourth in both the PGA and Masters (missing the cut in both Opens). Rahm finished in the top seven in all four playoff events last year, so he could be primed for a fantastic finish to his 2017-18 season.
Gary Woodland
Koepka, Scott, Cink and now Woodland. All excellent tee to green. Woodland, who led for a chunk of the tournament, wound up in a tie for sixth. It was no doubt disappointing to him, but it was still his best showing ever in a major. Woodland had been playing better of late, so keep an eye on him in the playoffs. With his great week, Woodland cracked the top 40 in the world rankings, landing at No. 39.
Thomas Pieters
Pieters had been having a subpar season until recently. He tied for sixth at Bellerive, matching his result at the Scottish Open last month. His surge has come too late to make the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he's certainly moved up a few notches where European Tour DFS is concerned. Pieters is back to No. 58 in the world.
Daniel Berger
Berger has had a terrible season, one that he attributes at least in part to a wrist injury. Maybe it's getting better, because Berger tied for 12th. He also tied for sixth at the U.S. Open, and that is his only top-10 all year. Berger is in the field for the Wyndham, surely trying to move up in the standings before the playoffs. His price will be high, but if he's healthy he could be an intriguing play.
Dustin Johnson
Johnson hung on to his top-ranking, but barely. He's surely not playing badly, having won three times in 2018. And he could easily win one of the playoff events to reassert his position. Johnson was playing for the fourth straight week at the PGA, which might explain his lackluster tie for 27th. He's the defending champion at the Northern Trust, though this year the tournament will not be played at the same course.
Rory McIlroy
Johnson was the betting favorite pre-tournament, but everyone was talking about how the course set up perfectly for McIlroy. Things never materialized for him, and he wound up tied for 50th. McIlroy sits 21st in the point standings, so he doesn't need to play in every playoff event to get to East Lake. He indicated on Sunday that he might sit out an event.
Matt Kuchar
Kuchar missed the cut for the third time in five events. In most years, Kuchar didn't miss three cuts all season. But now that he has, Jim Furyk has a big decision to make in whether to use one of his four Ryder Cup captain's picks on Kuchar. He's now 40 and has only four top-10s all season, but Kuchar has been such a trusted soldier at the Ryder Cup through the years that Furyk might very well pick him. It would appear to be Kuchar's last shot at a Ryder Cup.
Bryson DeChambeau
A week after showing composure for the final three rounds at the WGC-Bridgestone, DeChambeau bogeyed his 18th hole on Friday to miss the cut at Bellerive. He had a chance to become an automatic Ryder Cup selection but he remained in the ninth position, and only eight get in. It's probably 50-50 whether DeChambeau gets a captain's pick, but he surely will have to play well at the Northern Trust to nail it down.
Phil Mickelson
Oh, Phil. Mickelson missed the cut and now does not have a top-10 since May. In terms of the Ryder Cup, it likely doesn't matter, because he's sure to be a captain's pick. Still, it's the first time in forever that Mickelson did not automatically qualify on points.
Patrick Reed
What a shock (sarcasm). Reed was playing for the fifth straight week and he missed the cut at the PGA. This happens to Reed from time to time, as he doesn't give himself enough R&R. He'll skip the Wyndham but surely will play in all the playoff events. With this week off, we surmise he'll be rested enough to contend again.
Bubba Watson
Watson has three wins this season and is No. 14 in the world. But a missed cut at the PGA was his third in the past four starts. Watson qualified on points for the Ryder Cup team, and he has time to turn things around. But Furyk has to be a bit concerned that this could be the return of Bad Bubba at the absolute worst time.
