Koepka, from LIV Golf to win his fifth major, master of the PGA Championship
It's been over a year since a group of players put money before glory, preferring three-day tournaments and a more relaxed atmosphere.. He opted for the camaraderie of competing for teams than the competitiveness of each week on the PGA Tour.
For many, the wayward players who put the Saudi LIV Golf League first were finished, compared to a graveyard of elephants without enough competitive tension to allow them to be 100% when they returned to compete in the major tournaments.. Brooks Koepka buried many of these absurd conjectures. If a month ago, he was no match for Jon Rahm on the last day of the Augusta Masters, the same haters ironized, pointing out that second place was the result of that lack of level. The leader at Augusta National was ridiculed after 54 holes, stating that he had the fourth and final day left over. This Sunday, Koepka lifted his fifth grand, his third PGA Championship and he did it with clear control on the final day where he signed 67 strokes. Koepka won by two ahead of Scottie Scheffler, who will unseat Jon Rahm tomorrow as world number one, and the Norwegian Viktor Hovland. Koepka was not the only player from the LIV who made himself noticed, Bryson DeChambeau was fourth, Sepp Straka, seventh and Cam Smith, ninth. With his victory Koepka creates a problem for Zach Johnson, captain of the American team in the Ryder Cup, as he gets into the competition standings with force. We will wait for events and decisions in the coming days.
Discreet tournament for Rahm
It hasn't been the week for Jon Rahm. At no time did things work out nor did he seem comfortable with his swing. Yesterday's +1 left him definitively in 50th place with seven shots over par on the course.. “The good thing about this sport is that when you think you are invincible, it brings you back to earth.. When you think you have it, you stumble again and golf reminds you that you have to keep working.”. Rahm's honesty sums up his low-key week well. The best thing about the last day was his brilliant start with two birdies on the first two holes, the rest of the day, he had to continue suffering. Pablo Larrazábal concluded with 74 strokes today and a result of +12 that leaves him in 65th place.
Jon Rahm during the final round of the tournament. AFP The most beautiful story of the PGA
The history of the PGA was undoubtedly that of Michael Block. His reception on the 18th was higher than even the one dedicated to the tournament champion. Block is the only one of the 20 club professionals qualified in this tournament to make the cut. On a normal Sunday he would be teaching classes at his course at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, but classes were suspended today and his hundreds of students packed the clubhouse and erupted into madness when on the 15th hole, Block holed out directly from the tee to achieve an unusual hole in one. “I’ve never wanted to be obligated to make putts to pay my mortgage,” explained the 46-year-old Iowa-born pro. This Sunday he finished 15th, the best finish by a club professional in the tournament since 1986, his place qualifies him directly for the 2024 PGA Championship, earns him more than 3,000 places in the world rankings and gives him the biggest check of his career at nearly $300,000. Block who played the final day alongside Rory McIlroy perfectly represented the American dream
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