Sam Torrance: Brooks Koepka looked better than ever in US PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka looked back to his best in claiming a deserved third US PGA Championship on Sunday after a magnificent tournament at Oak Hill.
Some of the golf played over the four days in Rochester, New York, was out of this world and the course held up unbelievably well in near-constant rain on Saturday.
We saw no fewer than five 65s in the final round as the softer conditions made for slightly kinder playing conditions.
Koepka was sublime as he carded a 67 to follow consecutive rounds of 66. After missing a chance at the first he made three consecutive birdies and never looked back.
I felt a little sorry for Hovland, whose chances evaporated at the 16th when he tried to play out of a bunker and instead drilled his ball into the face of the trap.
Corey Conners’ challenge had also come a cropper in the same manner 24 hours earlier and Hovland got very unlucky with his lie.
Koepka immediately drove a dagger into the Norwegian’s heart with a superb second shot to within a few feet at the same hole, and that was that.
It was really exciting, great golf from both men but Koepka stood up to every bullet that was fired at him on his way to a fifth major title and his first for four years.
Since then the 33-year-old has struggled with injuries and faced questions about whether playing on the LIV Golf tour would be the right environment to rediscover top form.
But on Sunday Koepka played as well as I have ever seen him play. Having finished tied for second at the Masters last month, it bodes well for the year’s remaining two majors.
Despite missing out Hovland will be very proud indeed of his performance at this US PGA Championship.
The 25-year-old was up against as fierce a competitor as you will find and was undone by one bad shot at the 70th hole of the week.
Scottie Scheffler never gave up and got his reward in the form of a tie for second with Hovland, two shots behind Koepka.
He suffered an uncharacteristically bad Saturday but Scheffler responded with a strong finish and one of those rounds of 65.
Rory McIlroy finished in the top 10 for the fourth time in the last five majors but it was a nonetheless disappointing week for the Northern Irishman.
I had some sympathy for Conners who seemed to have had the stuffing knocked out of him by his double bogey at 16 on Saturday.
The other extraordinary storyline at the US PGA Championship was Michael Block, the PGA club professional who makes a living teaching golf at a public course in California.
Block, 46, had never made a cut at a major but shot back-to-back 70s to make the cut – the only club pro to do so this year at Oak Hill.
He played even better over the weekend, including holing a slam dunk hole in one at the par three 15th and a miraculous up and down to save par at the last and ensure he qualified for next year’s edition at Valhalla by finishing in the top 15.
It was like something out of the film Tin Cup, a wonderful addition to the week and an experience that he will never forget.
Sam Torrance OBE is a former Ryder Cup-winning captain and one of Europe’s most successful golfers. Follow him @torrancesam