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SPORTS Wednesday 10 OctOber 2018
Brooks Koepka voted PGA Tour's top player of the year

By DOUG FERGUSON at Shinnecock Hills to win
AP Golf Writer the U.S. Open for the sec-
U.S. Open and PGA cham- ond straight year, becom-
pion Brooks Koepka add- ing the first back-to-back
ed to his trophy collection U.S. Open champion since
Tuesday when he picked Curtis Strange in 1988 and
up the Jack Nicklaus 1989.
Award trophy as the PGA Two months later, Koepka
Tour player of the year. held off Tiger Woods amid
Koepka is the sixth player in ear-splitting roars on the
the last six years to win the back nine at Bellerive to
award, the longest streak of win the PGA Champion-
different winners since PGA ship by two shots. Koepka
Tour players began voting tied a major championship
on the award in 1990. record by finishing at 264.
Along with winning two He became the fifth player
majors, Koepka said he was to win the U.S. Open and
most proud of his attitude PGA Championship in the
when he wasn't playing. He same year, joining Woods,
missed four months at the Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan
start of the year recovering and Gene Sarazen.
from a partially torn ten- The tour does not disclose
don in his left wrist but then how many votes he re-
made up for lost time in a ceived from a ballot that In this Aug. 12, 2018, file photo, Brooks Koepka holds the Wanamaker Trophy after he won the PGA
big way. included Johnson, British Championship golf tournament at Bellerive Country Club, in St. Louis.
"I was down when I was Open champion Fran-
missing everything," Ko- cesco Molinari, FedEx Cup Johnson won the Byron Nel- laus. Thomas was in Ma- fight, saying he and John-
epka said. "I tried to have champion Justin Rose, Jus- son Award for having the laysia to start his new sea- son laughed about the re-
the most positive spin on tin Thomas and Bryson De- lowest adjusted scoring av- son. Johnson came by The port. Koepka received the
it when I was home. It did Chambeau. erage on the PGA Tour. He Bear's Club and did a short award during his one week
stink. It was the worst, emo- Johnson, Thomas and De- also won the Vardon Tro- video with Koepka, one of at home. After the Ryder
tionally tough times for me. Chambeau each won phy for the lowest scoring his best friends in golf, just Cup, he played the Dun-
Sometimes when I would three times. average, which is awarded a week after a British news- hill Links Championship at
question it, I kept saying: 'I'll Thomas won the Arnold by the PGA of America. paper reported they had St. Andrews. He leaves this
do it. I'll be fine.' Good news Palmer Trophy for leading Koepka's award was pre- to be separated during a weekend for the CJ Cup
or bad news, I had positive the PGA Tour money list for sented at The Bear's Club in skirmish at a European par- in South Korea, followed
energy." the second straight year, West Palm Beach, Florida, ty following the Ryder Cup. by the HSBC Champions in
In his fourth tournament making him the first player the home course of Nick- Koepka denies being in a Shanghai.q
back, he was runner-up at since Woods in 2006-07 to
Colonial. Three weeks later, win the money title in con-
he held off Dustin Johnson secutive years.