Koepka bidding for back-to-back titles and other talking points ahead of PGA Championship

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  • Brooks Koepka

    Brooks Koepka will be bidding to defend his PGA Championship title on Thursday as the second major of the year gets under way at Bethpage Black Course in New York.

    Here, we look at five talking points ahead of the tournament.

    Can Koepka retain PGA Championship?

    The World No2 is shaping himself into becoming an unstoppable force over the last two years, combining a devastating game off the tee with a razor-sharp short game.

    A win this weekend would mean the Florida man holds four of the last eight majors played, with one of the others being a T2 finish at the Masters last month.

    Players like Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods may be household names in America, but Koepka certainly deserves serious recognition among the golf public after being underrated in the game for so long.

    Remarkably, he is 55-under par in the last 10 majors held – 15 shots better than any other player in that span.

    It’s time to start taking this man seriously. He’s a class act.

    How is Tiger looking after Masters triumph?

    Tiger looked back to his scorching best after clinching a 15th major at Augusta last month, but the significant question will be whether he can carry his sterling form into the second major of the year.

    The Jupiter resident has enjoyed tremendous success at the Farmingdale course over the years with victory at the 2002 US Open and a top-10 at the 2009 US Open.

    Out of the top performing professionals with at least eight competitive rounds at Bethpage, Woods has the third best scoring average, behind Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen.

    If there is anything to make you believe the iconic American will deliver this weekend, he has only won the year’s first two majors once in his career, and that was back in 2002, when they were staged at Augusta National and Bethpage Black.

    Will Spieth complete career grand slam?

    Since leaving Augusta ranked number three in the world last year, Jordan Spieth has slipped to 39th in the rankings and is looking devoid of confidence over short putts.

    In fact, the 25-year-old has not achieved a top-10 finish in nearly nine months – stretching back to the British Open at Carnoustie in mid-July.

    And, while there has been little evidence to suggest he could compete for a career grand slam this weekend, his last performance at Bethpage Black should give him some confidence, finishing in a tie for 10th back in 2016.

    Perhaps a solid weekend with improved putting could elevate his confidence and overall game management back to a position where it should be.

    Rory hitting top form

    The best player in the world at the moment.

    A blazing start to the season has seen Rory McIlroy win at the Players Championship, finish second in Mexico and clinch three top-5s and three top-10s from nine starts.

    The 30-year-old currently leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained/tee to green and he recorded the second biggest victory of the season at Sawgrass in March.

    The Northern Irishman has not secured a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship since winning Valhalla in 2014. But back to his immaculate best, McIlroy should be in serious contention this weekend.

    Will America’s dominance at majors continue?

    Tiger Woods’ victory at Augusta last month means American players currently hold six of the last eight majors, with Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari’s respective wins at the Masters and the Open being the only two held by European players since April 2017.

    American players’ strong hold on the PGA Championship is also tight, winning the last three tournaments.

    Based on current form, it’s difficult to see America golf’s dominance being toppled in New York this weekend or at the US Open now next month either.

    The wait continues.

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