There were high scores, treacherous winds, frustrated golfers, vocal fans and chased down putts, but nothing could stop Brooks Koepka from becoming only the third player in history to win back-to-back US Open titles on Sunday.
Incredibly, two months ago, his sole focus was rehabbing serious damage to a wrist ligament injury that kept him out of practice for nearly four months, enough time for any golfer to forget what an eight iron or a putting green looked like.
Those long months at his home gym in Jupiter in Florida surely made winning a second US Open crown since Curtis Strange in 1989 seem like a scarcely believable dream.
And for much of the first two rounds at Shinnecock it appeared much the same as he struggled under the stiff winds and rocky greens on Long Island.
Six shots back at the start of round two, it looked like an uphill task for the 28-year-old to navigate, especially with the sparkling form of Dustin Johnson who was storming through the field like a Gulliver amongst a crowd of Lilliputians.
But, like any great champion, every bit of progress comes in gradual steps and Koepka posted a four under-66 to climb back into contention.
His versatility was demonstrated superbly on the gruelling Shinnecock course where under-par scores come rare. Last year at Erin Hills, he posted a 16-under 272, whereas this year he had to settle for a one-over par 281 (75-66-72-68).
His birdies on two, three, five, 10 and 16 pushed him into the lead on Sunday, holding off an impressive final round from Tommy Fleetwood who shot a scintillating 63 to finish second.
The low scores will undoubtedly milk the attention on Koepka’s scorecard, but it was the saved par from challenging positions on the 12th and 13th, and his stunning chip to a couple of feet on 16 that were highlights of a championship winning performance.
Some players can deal with the pressure, others crumble and only a select band can play to their potential on a consistent basis. Koepka is clearly a mix of all three and was rewarded for his intelligence and strategy on a course that saw marquee names like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods all fail to make it past Friday.
Discussions surrounding Shinnecock and the USGA’s handling of it may overshadow the tournament as a whole, but the achievements of a player like Koepka cannot be underestimated.
For the world No4 to show such consistency and confidence in just his sixth tournament this year after injury is incredible, and not only is he the first player to successfully defend the major in nearly 30 years, but the fourth golfer to win two US Open titles before turning 30, joining an elite club of Woods, Ernie Els and Jack Nicklaus.
Players like Johnson and Spieth may be household names in the US, but Koepka certainly has a bright future in the game ahead of him. And with it being a Ryder Cup year, he has the chance to be one of Jim Furyk’s key lieutenants at Le Golf National later this year as the Americans bid to defend their title on European soil.
