Ex-LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka described his first season back on the PGA Tour as “pretty pathetic”, while Michael Brennan won final event of the regular season, the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina.
Brennan claimed his second PGA Tour title by three shots ahead of fellow American and overnight co-leader Beau Hossler, finishing 22-under par.
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The 24-year-old banished his recent final round demons, after squandering strong positions on Sunday the previous two weeks, with a six-under par final round of 65.
He sealed the deal in style by draining a birdie putt at the 18th to not only claim the US$1.53 million (A$2.15) winner’s cheque, but to also jump into the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Brennan started the week 105th in the season-long standings, but jumped to 47th with his victory.
The top 70 make it to the three-week playoffs, with that number reduced to 50 after the FedEx St. Jude Championship before the top 30 after BMW Championship make it to the US$40 million Tour Championship.
Brennan will now also be among the world’s best at next year’s Masters and PGA Championship.
“It means everything, I don’t want to be done playing golf,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve played the best golf I have all years the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, couple of tough Sundays, but outside of that really, really solid.
“This is my sixth week in a row. So, seven’s a lot, but I think I’m going to be perfectly happy running on fumes next week.”
Brennan reeled off five straight birdies on the front nine to open up his buffer from Hossler.
But he got a little wobbly under the pressure of leading on the back nine.
Before a crucial par save after having to play from a divot on 17 ensured he headed to the final hole with a two-shot buffer.
“I did it great for nine holes. I felt really good on the front nine. Just playing my game. I was really staying within myself. Hitting good shots and in control,” Brennan said.
“Got a little nervous around 10, 11. I made a really nice par putt on 12 and that kind of steadied me a little bit going through. Just glad to make a few putts coming in.”
There was a lot less joy for Koepka further down the leaderboard.
The five-time major, who returned to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf at the start of the year, finished three-under par for the tournament, 14 shots behind Brennan.
Starting the week 86th in the FedEx Cup standings, Koepka’s tied 67th finish was well shy of the solo fourth or better he needed to jump into the top 70 and keep his season alive.
“Yeah, pretty disappointed. I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can’t get through,” Koepka said.
“Zero top-10s basically in two years. To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing. Just need to go home and
completely re-evaluate everything.”
Koepka added: “Ball-struck it great. It’s just all on the greens. I don’t know what the deal is, got zero confidence, can’t putt.
“I don’t know. There’s going to be a lot of changes here soon.”
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Elsewhere in the world of golf, Michael Block, the veteran PGA professional who burst onto the scene with a top 15 finish at the 2023 PGA Championship, caused a stir at the at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland.
It appeared on the leaderboard that Block, who was given a sponsor invite into the tournament, had been disqualified.
He had been late for his tee time, explaining on social media: “Yes, I was a couple of seconds late to my tee time today, got caught up taking pictures for volunteers. First time in my career and completely my fault.”
Block copped a two-shot penalty, but was alleged to have walked off the course after 12 holes.
He shot 43 on the front nine and Monday Q reported that Block headed for the clubhouse after a bogey on 12 without telling his playing partners.
The 50-year-old was said to have been upset with the course set up.
Block told Golf Digest that was not the case.
“I withdrew mid-round,” Block said. “Thanked my playing partners, their caddies, the spectators and the walking scorer. Handed the scorecard I was keeping to the other player. Asked the scorekeeper to call an official for a ride in.
“A gentleman with a European Tour jacket arrives a couple of minutes later and I tell him that I’m withdrawing. Once I arrive to the clubhouse, I walked into the championship office to thank them for the week but no one was there but thought nothing of it, thinking that I had withdrawn correctly, but I guess the gentleman that gave me the ride was not an official so I was DQ’d, rather than a WD.
“To hear these accusations that I just walked off the course and that I was upset about the course conditions is absurd.”
Block added that a wrist issue was to blame after shooting 76, 73 and 78 in the first three rounds.
“Tweaked my already weak left wrist on 10th hole hitting out of a bush,” he said. “Went into the brush again a couple of holes later and didn’t want to injure it more. I was completely out of the tournament and I didn’t feel it was smart to keep going at that point.”
Meanwhile, Joaquin Niemann won the LIV event at Trump Bedminster in New York.
It was the Chilean’s ninth individual title on the breakaway league, but former world No.1 Jon Rahm was crowned the season’s individual champion for a third straight year.
The Spaniard had a disappointing week, ending 8-over par, but his efforts earlier in the year were enough to secure the title.
“The last two weeks haven’t been the best, have they,” Rahm said, alluding to his performance in the UK, when asked what he was most proud of.
“I would say [I am most] proud of [my performances] earlier in the season.
“I think to start off as well as I did with a few second places and not getting the win and then going to Hong Kong and getting it done when I needed to, having a lead and then basically losing it and birdieing four in a row in the last few holes was probably the most proud moment.
“It’s been great. It’s been a great year. Again, a little sour taste in my mouth because of how badly I played this week. But it’s been something to be proud of.
“After last year and not getting the having possibly a question mark over the season-long race, to win twice and do it effectively and win it again definitely feels good.”
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