AUGUSTA, Ga. — After Brooks KoepkaAfter missing the cut in the Masters the second year in a row in April 2022, he vented his frustrations on the Augusta National Golf Club parking lot with his courtesy vehicle.
Koepka said Friday that I dont know if its right to say this, but pretty certain I tried breaking the back window with a fist, I tried to insert it through the back window twice, not once but twice. It didnt work the first time, so I decided to do it again. Yes, it was a lot frustrating last year. It was extremely annoying.
The ride home was quite quiet. It was a lot of frustration, I think. I think Mercedes has a pretty good back window.
Local dealerships wont need to worry about luxury cars this year.
Koepka is a four-time major champion and shot a 5-under par 67 in Fridays round to move to 12 Under after 36 holes at the Masters. He leads by three strokes Jon RahmAmateur won four strokes more than amateur, but he was still on the course at the time play was suspended due to weather. Sam Bennett of Texas A&M, who finished at 8 under.
Rahm was No. Rahm was at No. Multiple tall pine trees fell near patronsJust before the second stoppage, there was no injury and the decision was made to suspend the second round until Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
Viktor Hovland (6 under), Cameron Young(5 under) Tiger Woods(2 over) were among 39 players who did not complete the second round. The projected cut-off is currently at 2 more.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Koepka tied for the third-lowest 36-hole score to par in Masters history. Only Jordan SpiethRaymond Floyd (13 under in 1975) had better scores than Raymond Floyd (14 under in 2015). LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg NormanHe was also 12 years old in 1996, and he was the only one of the trio to lose.
Koepkas track record of holding a lead at majors suggests it will be hard for anyone to catch him down this weekend. He was the previous 36- or 54-hole leader in five majors and won four times – at the U.S. Open 2017 and 2018, and the PGA Championship 2018 & 2019. He was tied for second at the 2019 Masters after he lost the lead in the second round. Tiger Woods.
Koepka walked into majors back then with swagger, confidence and the ability to beat anyone. After sustaining a fractured right kneecap in March 2021, Koepka was left feeling utterly helpless for the next two years. He would need to fully recover for 18 months, according to surgeons.
Koepka said, I have come a long distance since then. A lot of it is health-related.
Koepka, 32 years old, wondered if he would ever play again. He stated that his health was one reason he joined LIV Golf circuit in June. He was reported to have received a guaranteed signing bonus in excess of $100 million.
Koepka answered a reporters question about whether he would have made a tough decision to leave the PGA Tour if he was healthy. I think it would. But Im happy about the decision I made.
Bennett, a 23-year-old Bennett was the U.S. Amateur champion. Amateur champion Bennett, who hails from Madisonville in Texas, had back to back birdies at the 13th & 14th holes on his way to a second consecutive score of 68. He just missed the Masters 36 hole amateur record of 9 under, set by Ken Venturi back in 1956.
Bennett said that he loves being in big-time situations after his round. I love being nervous. That is what I use to my advantage. … I love hitting shots when they are important. Its going be great to put up two rounds and have a chance going into weekend.
Koepka looks back at the player who regularly won or finished in the top five at majors after winning the LIV Golf League tournament in Orlando, Florida last week. He hit 29 of 36 greens, required 57 putts, and went 6-for-7 in scrambling during the Masters first two rounds. He is 7 under on par-5s despite making a bogey at the 13th hole. He had three birdies on Friday and an eagle at par-5s.
Three-time Masters winner, Hes been doing well, he said. Phil MickelsonAnother LIV Golf player is. He won last week. Hes gained some momentum. [The]Last week, greens were hard. They were fast. They were as fast, if no faster than this. He was good on the greens. You knew he was going for a great week.
Koepka is now 118th in Official World Golf Ranking. This is because LIV Golf players have not received world-ranking points in their finishes in the circuits tournaments in the past two seasons. His last major win was the 2019 PGA Championship. This gave him a five year exemption into the Masters.
Unless the OWGR recognizes LIV Golf events, Koepka will have a difficult time climbing back into the top 50. This is another way to earn an invitation each year to Augusta National Golf Club.
The best way to get into the Masters each year, is to win a green jacket. This comes with a lifetime exemption. If he holds on to this weekend, Koepka will join 19 other men who have won at most five majors.
Koepka stated, Yes, if your play is good enough, you should still rank in the top 50, provided you play well in all majors. But yes, if you win one here, it kind of [of]It does tick a lot of boxes, dont you think?
Mickelson said that Koepka has plenty of work ahead with the coming colder weather, rain, and wind.
Mickelson said, A lot crazy things happen here. We see a lot low scores and then we also see a lot more guys fall back, which is something you never know. Hes playing so well that I wouldnt expect anything less from him. However, I do think theres a low round from other players.
Its not the easiest course to shoot 3, 4 under par if things arent going right. You can play it to par, but if your game isnt great, its hard for you to stay in the 60s. He can be caught by guys if he gets too hot.
After Fridays round, Koepka was once again asked about an incident that occurred during the opening round. Video replays showed Ricky Elliott speaking the word five in response to a question. Gary WoodlandBrennan Little was the caddie for Koepka. After Koepkas second shot on the 15th, Little made contact.
The committee asked Koepka and Woodland, along with their caddies, whether they were helping one another. They were cleared by the rules committee of any violations, and all involved insisted that no advice or request was made.
Koepka claimed that he was again questioned by the committee on Friday about whether he signaled 5 before taking off his glove.
Koepka stated, Today was just my — I guess mine and my glove. I don’t know if you’re supposed to take off your glove with your fist closed, or what now. Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open Champion, denied that Koepka helped him.
Woodland said that he hit his shot Friday. Brooks told me what he hit as we walked down the hill. I would have hit 6-iron if I had known that. I would have hit 6-iron in middle of the water. I was fortunate that I didnt know what he hit. Thats it.
This report was compiled by the Associated Press.