Brooks Koepka finds form as he targets PGA title hat trick; Tiger Woods chasing

John Skilbeck

•
Brooks Koepka finds form as he targets PGA title hat trick; Tiger Woods chasing image

Tiger Woods made a steady start to his quest for a fifth PGA Championship, but an eye-catching 66 from Brooks Koepka suggested history could be made this weekend in San Francisco.

A 2-under 68 from Woods put the 44-year-old three shots off the early pace set by co-leaders Jason Day and Brendon Todd at TPC Harding Park, in golf's first major of the disrupted 2020 season.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Tourmanent leaderboard

Koepka is only one behind Day and Todd, however, raising the prospect of a title challenge from the man who is chasing a hat trick of consecutive PGA titles.

Woods has twice triumphed at the PGA in consecutive years (1999-2000, 2006-07), but nobody has taken the title three years in succession in the stroke-play era.

That is the challenge Koepka is embracing, with the 30-year-old recovering well after dropping a shot at his second hole, having started on the back nine.

WHEN IS TIGER'S SECOND ROUND? PGA Championship tee times

Koepka told Sky Sports: "I just keep playing one shot at a time, one hole at a time, keep plugging away. I'm playing so good that . . . I hit a good putt at 11 and it just didn't go in, I just over-read it a little bit, but other than that I played everything pretty much how I wanted to. I played really well."

Koepka had been struggling for form since the PGA Tour returned until tying for second last time out at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

He had a closing 80 at the Memorial Tournament and missed the cut at the Workday Charity Open and 3M Open, but Koepka loves to produce on the big stage.

"It's a major, I'll get up for it," he said. "It's a little bit of confidence I guess, maybe a little bit, but at the end of the day I just feel good, I'm playing good, and there's no reason to be scientific with all the numbers and stuff. You just go out and play."

Koepka, playing two groups ahead of Woods, parred his way home after making birdie at two and four, his 11th and 13th holes.

By contrast, there was anguish across Woods' face as he missed a par putt at the eighth — his 17th hole — after a brilliant bunker shot, knocking him back from 3 under.

Woods nonetheless was happy with his efforts, and he felt scoring would become tougher later in the day because of increasing winds.

The tournament was being played without spectators, meaning there was no crowd energy for the players to feed off, nor any familiar applause as they were introduced for the start of their rounds.

Asked if he was satisfied with how he played, Woods said: "Yeah, I was. I figured we were going to get the more favorable of the conditions today, with the wind supposed to pick up, which it is now. The golf course is only going to get more difficult.

"Some of these pins were a little on the difficult side, but overall this golf course is all about hitting fairways, and if you're able to hit the fairway you can get after some of these flags."

Woods was playing with a new putter for the first time. 

"I've been messing about with it for the better part of over a year," he said. "It's a little bit longer than my original one, which makes it a little easier on my back. I was able to spend more time practicing."

Koepka has plenty of company at 4 under, with 2010 champion Martin Kaymer, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Bud Cauley, Zach Johnson, Justin Rose, Brendan Steele and Mike Lorenzo-Vera also in a tie for third.

 

Rory McIlroy, the 2012 and 2014 PGA winner, was grouped with Woods and world No. 1 Justin Thomas, who won this tournament three years ago. McIlroy had a level-par 70 and Thomas a frustrating 1-over 71.

John Skilbeck