In 30yrs of US Open Title-Koepka becomes the 1st player to Defend!
Brooks Koepka became the first player in three decades to repeat as US Open champion here on Sunday, firing a gritty final round 68 at Shinnecock Hills to best Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke.
A year after he marched to victory with a 16-under total at Erin Hills, Koepka kept his nerve on the back nine to emerge with a one-over-par total of 281.
“To go back to back, ” I really can’t even put it into world,” said Koepka.
The world number nine is the seventh player to win back-to-back US Open crowns, and the first since Curtis Strange in 1988-89.
After overpowering the wide-open Erin Hills, he kept his nerve through four brutal days at Shinnecock.
England’s Fleetwood seized opportunity to match the lowest round ever in the US Open with a brilliant seven-under 63 for a two-over total of 282.
Fleetwood had stormed into the clubhouse with a round that included eight birdies, putting the pres sure on overnight leaders Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Daniel Berger and Tony Finau.
Only Koepka met the challenge. He hasd broken out of the first five holes. Playing in freshening wind and knowing that Fleetwood was in the club-house on two-over, Koepka produced a string of cluthch putts on the back nine.
A six-foot birdie at the 10th geve him a two-stroke lead. A tough 12-footer limited the demage at 11 to what he called “a great bogey” after he hit over the green into deep rough and from there into a bunker.
He got up and down for par at the 12th, and escaped with a par from dep rough at 14 before giving himself some breathing room with a birdie at the par-five 16th-where he stuck his third shot less than four feet from the pin . by the time Koepka’s approach at 18 hit a grandstand and bounced off a closing bogey was academic.
Kajal
Team Sportsnasha
