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Monday 13 august 2018

Koepka holds off Woods to win PGA Championship

By DOUG FERGUSON Stenson set at Royal Troon 5 17th, Woods sent it sailing
AP Golf Writer two years ago in the British to the right and it embed-
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brooks Ko- Open. ded in a hazard along the
epka is impossible to over- Koepka has won three banks of a creek. He did
look now, winning the PGA of the last six majors he well to advance it, but had
Championship on Sunday played, and two of three to save par from a bunker.
with machine-like precision this year alone. He joined Behind him, Koepka holed
to go with his back-to-back Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben his two birdie putts.
U.S. Open titles. Hogan and Gene Sarazen Woods and Koepka played
And it still felt — and sound- as the only players to win nine holes of a practice
ed — like he was play- the two U.S. majors that ro- round on Wednesday, and
ing second billing to Tiger tate to different courses in the 14-time major cham-
Woods. the same year. Scott hung pion knew what he was
With roars for Woods un- around by making big up against. “It’s tough to
heard anywhere this side putts, just like he hoped, beat when the guy hits
of Augusta National, Ko- and was tied for the lead it 340 down the middle,”
epka kept his cool and ran until Koepka’s birdies. Scott Woods said. “What he did
off two birdies on the back missed a 6-foot birdie putt at Shinnecock, just bomb-
nine at Bellerive with Adam on the par-5 17th that ing it, and then he’s doing
Scott tied for the lead and would have pulled him to the same thing here. ... And
Woods one shot behind. within one shot — right af- when a guy’s doing that
Koepka closed with a 4-un- Brooks Koepka poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning ter Koepka missed from the and hitting it straight, and
the PGA Championship golf tournament at Bellerive Country
der 66 for a two-shot victo- Club, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in St. Louis. same range — and then as good a putter as he is,
ry, making him only the fifth Associated Pressa made bogey on the 18th it’s tough to beat.”
player to win the U.S. Open loud.” to put it away, Koepka ran for a 67 to finish alone in Koepka never imagined
and PGA Championship in Even with two bogeys, kept attacking flags and third. a year like this. He missed
the same year. Woods shot 64 for his lowest ran in birdie putts of 10 feet The St. Louis fans waited 17 four months at the start
“The crowds here, they let final round in a major. on No. 15 and 7 feet on No. years to see Woods — he of the year when a par-
you know what’s going “I played hard,” Woods 16 to end the drama. He last was at Bellerive when tially torn tendon in his left
on,” Koepka said with a big said. “I made a bit of a run. tapped in for par on the the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks wrist, causing him to sit out
grin. “The beginning of the It looks like I’m going to final hole to set the PGA canceled a World Golf the Masters. He outlasted
back nine, I could hear all come up a little short.” Championship scoring re- Championship — and he good friend Dustin John-
the roars. When Tiger start- Koepka was responsible for cord at 264. delivered a performance son at Shinnecock Hills to
ed making his little run, and that. It also tied the major cham- that took golf back in time. become the first back-to-
Scotty made his run, it got After wasting one chance pionship record that Henrik Thomas Bjorn might have back U.S. Open champion
seen it coming. Earlier in in 29 years.
the week, as he was clean- And now this.
ing out his locker after with- Koepka joked about work-
drawing with an injury, he ing out in a public gym this
thought back to Woods week with Dustin Johnson
getting into contention at and not being recognized.
Carnoustie last month at He has been motivated
the British Open. “He rec- by more serious moments,
ognized who that guy was from being left off the “no-
that day,” Bjorn said. table scores” section of TV
Woods was relentless, coverage at tournaments
pumping fists, raising the and even last week, when
putter in his left hand, mak- he was not summoned for
ing birdies and charging a TV interview to preview
toward a finish that caused the PGA Championship.
pure pandemonium He now is No. 2 in the world,
among one of the largest with a shot at overtak-
and noisiest crowds at a ing Johnson in two weeks
major. when the FedEx Cup play-
Without hitting a fairway on offs start.
the front nine, Woods cut Justin Thomas also had
the four-shot deficit to two. a chance to join Woods
Dialed in on the back nine, as the only back-to-back
he dropped an approach PGA champions in stroke
into 4 feet on No. 12, got play, and he was tied for
within one shot with a 10- the lead briefly on the front
foot birdie on the par-3 nine when Koepka missed
13th and, after a bad drive fairways and made two
led to bogey, he answered straight bogeys. Thomas
with another approach turned birdie into bogey at
that hit a foot from the the turn with a three-putt
hole. from 5 feet, and he missed
That was as good as it got. a short par putt on the 14th
Facing the most important to fall back. He shot 68 and
drive of the day on the par- tied for sixth.q