Koepka rises like a phoenix from ashes of 2020

PHOENIX (Arizona) • For two months last year, Brooks Koepka questioned whether he would return to the level of golf that earned him four Major titles.

On Sunday, the American grabbed two eagles to win the Phoenix Open for his first PGA Tour title since 2019.

He returned to the winners' circle at the same TPC Scottsdale course where he won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles back in 2015, posting a six-under 65 for a 19-under total of 265.

He finished one stroke in front of South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon (68) and compatriot Xander Schauffele ( 71).

Koepka, who rose to world No. 1 on the strength of Major titles from 2017 to 2019, battled through a 2020 season disrupted not only by the coronavirus pandemic but also by knee and hip injuries that prevented him from playing the PGA Tour play-offs and the US Open at Winged Foot in September.

"It has been a wild ride for the last year and a half and very frustrating," said the 30-year-old world No. 13, who acknowledged he had some "dark moments".

"I've had moments where I didn't know if I was going to be the same, if I could even come back."

He hit rock bottom during The Memorial Tournament last July, when his knee gave him "excruciating pain".

Healthy again, Koepka recorded his first eagle of the final round - a 24-footer at the third. Birdies at No. 13, No. 14 and No. 15 followed, and he led with his eagle at the par-four 17th, where his chip from 97 feet out took two hops and rolled into the centre of the cup.

"Hell of a week," added Koepka, who like all in the field relished the presence of 5,000 fans a day - the most at a PGA Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic exploded.

Lee also had a week to remember after settling for a career-best joint runner-up finish.

Starting the day three behind co-leaders Schauffele and Jordan Spieth (72), the Korean hung around the leaderboard all day and briefly tied for the lead with a birdie at the 15th.

Lee, who has won four times in Asia, had a 33-foot birdie attempt on the 18th hole to force a play-off but just missed the target.

Still, he was beaming with pride as his previous best individual performance was a tied-fifth finish at the 2019 RSM Classic while he was joint-third with Matt Avery at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, also in 2019.

"Everything was good… from my irons, driver and putting," the 29-year-old said after hitting nearly 85 per cent of greens in regulation. "I also had a lot of saves, so I learnt a lot of things...

"I was a little nervous and hopefully the next time when I'm in the same situation, I will take the chance and hopefully win."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, PGA TOUR