ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Any questions?
The moral to the 105th PGA Championship that played out to unparalleled drama this week at Oak Hill was this: Believe in Brooks.
There’s a conviction to the things Brooks Koepka has to say and it’s not hot-air, gas-bag chatter. Koepka backs things up.
And Sunday, on a glorious, sun-splashed afternoon one day after rain saturated the venerable Donald Ross-designed course that’s hosted seven men’s major championships and a Ryder Cup, Koepka not only backed up his words, he added exclamation points as he made history.
Koepka, 33, staved off Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler to win the PGA Championship for the record-tying third time in tournament history, finishing 9-under to Hovland and Scheffler’s 7-under on a final-round Sunday that served up as much drama as Mother Nature dropped rain on the grounds the day before.
The other two players to win at least three PGA Championships since it changed from match play to stroke play in 1958?
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Brooks Koepka celebrates winning the PGA Championship on Sunday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con“Pretty special to be in a list or category with them,’’ Koepka said.
Believe in Brooks. Believe in his accomplishments.
This was Koepka’s fifth career major championship victory, making him only the 20th player in the history of the sport to win that many.
“I’m not sure I dreamed of this as a kid,’’ Koepka said. “I’m just happy to do it in front of these New York fans.”
This was Koepka’s third major triumph in the state of New York, following his 2018 U.S. Open victory at Shinnecock Hills and 2019 PGA win at Bethpage Black.
“We got three majors in New York, so New York has been a second home to me,’’ he said.
Koepka has battled various injuries in recent years, including what he called a “dislocated and shattered” right knee and a torn patella tendon in his left knee as well as a hip ailment.
“I didn’t know if my career was over for a half-second; I wasn’t sure I was going to play,’’ he said last year.
This is why the usually steely-eyed, too-cool-for-school Koepka was more emotional after this win than he’d ever been after his first four majors.
Brooks Koepka is all smiles at the PGA championship. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con“This one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years,’’ he said. “Pardon my language, but it’s all the f–king sh–t I had to go through. No one knows all the pain. There’s a lot of times where I just couldn’t even bend my knee. Yeah, it felt good. It felt really good.’’
Believe in Brooks. Believe what he has to say.
On Saturday night, after Koepka shot a second consecutive 66 in the third round to take a one-shot lead over Hovland and Corey Conners into the final round, he spoke about the lessons he’d learned from blowing a four-shot 54-hole lead to Jon Rahm at the Masters last month.
Koepka vowed never again to make the same mistake, which was playing prevent defense while protecting a four-shot lead as he shot 75 in the most disappointing final round of his life.
“I won’t do it again the rest of my career,’’ he said after the third round. “I promise I won’t show up like that on Sunday.’’
Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship for the third time. Getty ImagesHe didn’t. He stayed aggressive, kept his foot on the gas.
“If it wasn’t for that final round at Augusta,’’ Koepka said, “I definitely wouldn’t have, I don’t think, won today if that didn’t happen.’’
Koepka said he “felt in control all day’’ Sunday, and it showed. Even when Hovland was making clutch putts and coming at him, Koepka never flinched.
Koepka never lost the lead, and his edge remained razor thin until he and Hovland reached the 16th hole with Koepka leading by one shot. That’s where everything changed. Hovland’s tee shot landed in a fairway bunker and his second shot slammed into the grassy bank of the bunker and became embedded.
Hovland, who was trying to become the first player from Norway ever to win a major, had to take a penalty shot for an unplayable lie and it resulted a soul-crushing double bogey on the hole, which Koepka birdied.
So, as they walked to the 17th tee, Koepka was 10-under and a devastated and deflated Hovland 6-under. Ballgame.
“Brooks is a great player, and now he has five majors,’’ Hovland said. “That’s a hell of a record right there. It’s not easy going toe-to-toe with a guy like that. He is not going to give you anything.’’
Moral to the story: Believe in Brooks.
LIV Golf, where Koepka plays now, certainly believes in him as he became the first player to win a major as a member of LIV.
Brooks Koepka celebrates winning the PGA Championship on Sunday Getty Images“It’s a huge thing for LIV, but at the same time I’m out here competing as an individual at the PGA Championship,’’ Koepka said. “I’m just happy to take this home for the third time.’’








