Koepka banks on mental strength

KIAWAH ISLAND (South Carolina) • Just two months after knee surgery, four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka showed that playing on the wind-swept Ocean Course can be a breeze.

While the elements belittled much of the field, the American carded a three-under 69 to finish joint second after the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday, two adrift of Canadian leader Corey Conners.

Koepka made a run up the leaderboard at the year's second Major with six birdies that offset a woeful start. Beginning from the back nine, the 31-year-old landed his first shot in the waste bunker en route to a double-bogey on the par-four 10th.

He quickly found his rhythm, and drained a 24-foot putt on the par-four fourth hole. Despite struggling with his accuracy on the driver, he was tied with Keegan Bradley, Cam Davis, Viktor Hovland, Aaron Wise and Sam Horsfield.

The performance was a remarkable improvement for Koepka, who underwent surgery in March after he dislocated his kneecap and suffered ligament damage. His mobility was so limited that he could scarcely bend over at the Masters last month, where he missed the cut.

Koepka was also in the brusque form of his not-too-distant glory days when he snorted that it was easier to win Major titles because more than half the field would crack under the pressure.

"I love it when it's difficult, I think that's why I do so well in the Majors," said the 31-year-old, who won the tournament in 2018 and 2019. "I just know mentally I can grind it out."

Even Major champions struggled. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson could not get in gear the entire day, wrapping up his round with his second double-bogey of the day at No. 18 for a four-over 76.

Rory McIlroy played his first nine in even par, but four bogeys and just one birdie derailed his back nine and led to a 75.

McIlroy, who won the 2012 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island, bogeyed three of the four par-fives, which is far from usual for the long-hitting Ulsterman. He struggled to keep his ball on the fairway, and was forced to gouge wayward shots from the gnarly bushes and sandy waste areas that line every hole.

Tying McIlroy at three over was another pre-tournament favourite, world No. 2 Justin Thomas. He frequently chased mishits that landed in the Ocean Course sand.

On the treacherous 18th hole, his tee shot skipped into a waste area and his recovery from there travelled only 67 yards and squirted into some knee-high vegetation alongside the hole. Thomas advanced his next shot about 90 feet.

From the rough, he finally found the green with his fifth shot and sank a three-foot putt for a double bogey.

US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau concluded his round at even par, after making the turn at two over, and said the 7,876-yard layout was "the most difficult golf course" he had played.

"The wind just kicked my butt, it takes a lot out of you," the world No. 5 said.

"It's windy and you're standing over a four-foot putt. The wind is blowing really hard, and you think it's going to break. When the wind stops, it's not going to break. It's all just a really difficult thing that you've got to control out there."

Jordan Spieth, needing a PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam, launched his latest bid with a 73, as did Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Conners, who is trying to join Masters champion Mike Weir as the only Canadians to win a Major, mixed six birdies with a bogey.

"I knew in my preparation it was possible to have a decent round, shoot a five-or six-under par round," said the 29-year-old after his 10th Major start, having taken confidence from two top-10 Masters finishes in the past six months.

"So kind of started the day thinking, 'Why not me?'"

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES

Day 3: Singtel TV Ch114 & StarHub Ch208, tomorrow, 1am