'I did not know if my career was over' - Brooks Koepka fights back from the depths to win LIV Golf in Jeddah
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Published 16/10/2022 at 16:16 GMT
The LIV Golf Series event at Royal Greens in Saudi Arabia saw extremely difficult conditions, with a strong wind blowing in off the Red Sea. Brooks Koepka and Peter Uihlein traded the lead during the final round and both birdied the 18th to take the event to a play-off. It took three holes to separate the pair, with Koepka finally getting over the line.
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Brooks Koepka shrugged off some wayward play in windy conditions to beat Peter Uihlein in a play-off to win the LIV Golf event in Jeddah.
Uihlein began the day with a one-shot lead and fought superbly following a shaky start to get into a play-off.
The pair could not be separated after two play-off holes at Royal Greens, but at the third go at the 18th Uihlein sent a bunker shot flying over the green and into the water to hand victory to Koepka.
“The last two years have been tough,” Koepka, who has battled back from serious hip and knee injuries, said. “It has been a long road and I am super excited.
“We have got the band back together. Claude [Harmon, coach] back on the team.
“I did not know if my career was over for half a second. I told Claude I wasn’t sure I was going to play so it is nice to be able to win.”
Final Leaderboard
- 1. Brooks Koepka, 12-under
- 2. Peter Uihlein, 12-under
- T3. Sergio Garcia, 11-under
- T3. Joaquin Niemann, 11-under
- T5. Matthew Wolff, 10-under
- T5. Dustin Johnson, 10-under
- T5. Paul Casey, 10-under
- T8. Bernd Wiesberger, nine-under
- T8. Charl Schwartzel, nine-under
Conditions were extremely tough for the players, with a strong wind blowing in off the Red Sea.
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It made for difficult tee shots and approaches, and Koepka spent plenty of time in the rough after wayward drives.
Uihlein also had troubles and after starting the day with a one-stroke lead he tumbled backwards after a double bogey on the second.
A further double bogey followed, and his race seemed run when he made a three-putt par.
But he made birdies on 10 and 12 to get back on track, at a time when Koepka’s radar went awry.
After a fine birdie on 10, the difficult 11th bit Koepka as he found a bunker off the tee and sent his second over the back of the green. The four-time major winner did well to scramble a bogey.
Koepka compounded the error by failing to find the top tier with his approach to the 12th, and three putts resulted in a bogey to drop back into a share of the lead.
He seemed set to get away with a terrible tee shot on the 13th, but three-putted from 14 feet for a third bogey in a row and drop out of the lead.
Koepka stopped the bleeding with a par on the 14th and after another awful tee shot on the 15th, he produced a brilliant approach to the heart of the green and rolled in the putt to jump back into a share of the lead.
Both Koepka and Uihlein got up and down from tough spots just off the 18th green for birdies to take them into a play-off.
Uihlein found the bunker on all three play-off holes. The first two times he produced glorious shots to get up and down for birdie. At the third time of asking, he got it a little thin - he suggested to his caddie he caught a rock - and it flew over the green and into the water.
It allowed Koepka the luxury of splashing out of the sand and two putts for the win - albeit he only needed one putt to get over the line.
Joaquin Niemann produced the round of the day, a 65, and his birdie on his final hole took him into a share of the lead at 11-under, but Koepka and Uihlein's birdies on 18 ended his chances of victory.
Paul Casey got himself firmly in contention and held a share of the lead mid-way through the round, but a tame three-putt bogey on the 15th checked his momentum and a further bogey on 17 dashed his hopes of victory.
Dustin Johnson, who had already wrapped up the individual prize for the season, eagled the 18th, his 17th hole*, to briefly threaten a victory, but his round of 67 was not enough as he finished at 10-under.
Koepka and Uihlein represent Team Smash and their dominance resulted in them winning the team event from the Fireballs, Crushers and Aces.
*LIV Golf is a shotgun start with all players starting at the same time on different holes, so not all players finish their rounds on the 18th.
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