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Brooks Koepka has developed a reputation as a ruthless champion. You don’t run through the world of golf while becoming the fastest to ever go from zero major championships to four if you’re not. There is a level of admiration and respect for what Koepka has done and may possibly do in the future.
But a realization was necessary Sunday at the 2023 Masters: This isn’t 2017-19 anymore, and Koepka — at least on major Sundays since — may no longer be that guy. Koepka’s final-round 75 at the 2023 Masters, ceding the green jacket to a surging Jon Rahm (who ultimately won by four strokes), was just the latest instance of disappointment the four-time major champion has endured since his last major title.
Koepka began the final day at Augusta National Golf Club with a four-stroke lead and one arm slipped into the green jacket. Well aware of the stakes and knowing a win this week would mean the career grand slam would be on the line later this summer at The Open, the 32-year-old Floridan never looked comfortable.
As if fitted for a 44 regular but squeezed into a 40 slim, Koepka saw his lead halved by the time the third round was completed. Despite this minor slip up, it was still a distinct possibility his fifth major championship would be the end result. Having previously converted all three of his 54-hole leads in major wins, there were no signs of this time being any different. Until there were.
Punched in the mouth by Rahm on the 3rd and a self-inflicting wound on the fourth saw his lead vanish less than a one-third into the deciding round. Two holes later, Koepka fell out of a share of the lead for the first time since Thursday afternoon with another sloppy mistake.
“I just kind of played average,” Koepka told CBS Sports’ Amanda Renner after his round. “I didn’t get any good breaks, either. …That’s how it goes sometimes. But I didn’t feel like I played too bad.”
During that 2017-19…
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Source : cbssports
