Koepka takes PGA for fifth major title in landmark LIV win

Wednesday, 24 May 2023 00:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on 21 May 2023 in Rochester, New York – AFP/Getty Images

ROCHESTER, AFP: Brooks Koepka outdueled Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler in a back-nine battle Sunday to win the PGA Championship for his fifth major title, giving Saudi-backed LIV Golf a milestone major triumph.

The 33-year-old American captured his third PGA Championship and became the first player to win a major since joining LIV, firing a three-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at Oak Hill on nine-under 271.

“This is probably the sweetest one of them all because all the hard work that went into it,” Koepka said. “This one is definitely special.” Norway’s 11th-ranked Hovland, chasing his first major title, and American Scheffler, last year’s Masters winner and the new world number one, shared second on 273.

“I put up a good fight. I played great today,” Scheffler said. “I gave the guys on top of the leaderboard something to think about.

“But Brooks just played some fantastic golf this week. He played too good this weekend for me to catch up to him.” There were a smattering of boos for Koepka as he walked onto the 18th green to make the concluding putts for the title, a sign of the bitter acrimony that has engulfed golf since the launch of the LIV circuit last year.

But Koepka calmly finished off an impressive romp, his first major win since 2021 right knee surgery sidelined him for most of the past two seasons.

Australia’s Cam Davis and American Kurt Kitayama shared fourth on 277 with another LIV player, American Bryson DeChambeau.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy shared seventh on 278 with Austrian Sepp Straka.

Koepka was among the stars who jumped from the PGA Tour to breakaway LIV Golf, which offered record $ 25 million purses for 54-hole events, despite concern over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

The PGA banned LIV talent from its events, with a legal fight between them due in court next May. In the meantime, the majors have provided the only outlet for competition between players from the rival tours.

In all, there were six major winners from LIV in the field of 156 with a combined 15 major crowns, none of them won since joining the upstart circuit, including Australian Cam Smith’s British Open title last July.