• Defending champion: ‘I’ve never been this confident’
• Tiger Woods fights for a 72 after early mistakes
Brooks Koepka is not the individual anyone would want to encounter when seeking a cure from illness at a major championship. Just ask Tiger Woods. As Koepka’s love affair with golf’s big four continued, a struggling Woods could only look on with admiration. “It could easily have been a couple better,” said Woods of Koepka’s 63, as he seized the lead at the 101st US PGA Championship. Koepka will begin day two with a one-stroke advantage over Danny Lee.
Woods, making his first start since claiming the Masters in April, produced one of his more unorthodox rounds before signing for a 72, two over par and, crucially, nine adrift of his imperious playing partner. The 15-times major champion made a double bogey at his opening hole and did likewise at the 17th, his 8th. A requirement to shake off rust was obvious; Woods had skipped his planned practice session on Wednesday, with an explanation for that arriving during round one media duties. “I wasn’t feeling that good yesterday so I decided to stay home and rest,” Woods said. “I got a little bit sick.”
Written by Euan Murray at Bethpage
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/16/brooks-koepka-us-pga-tiger-woods under the title “Brooks Koepka in no mood to relinquish his US PGA title with round of 63”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
