IRVING, Texas – The similarities lined every fairway at TPC Four Seasons.
Brooks Koepka’s first victory on the PGA Tour was at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour’s rowdiest stop. He’ll take a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round at the AT&T Byron Nelson, arguably the circuit’s second biggest party.
“He’s certainly capable of closing, as he’s shown at one of the wildest events of the year and this one is certainly up there with that closing stretch,” said Jordan Spieth, who is alone in second place and will be paired with Koepka on Sunday. “I’m sure it’s got a lot of similarities for him when he’s standing on these last few holes.”
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Koepka also compared his relatively pedestrian ball-striking this week to how he hit the ball in 2015 at TPC Scottsdale.
“I think sometimes when you’re not playing your best you’re more mentally there, you’re trying to grind it out a little bit harder, you really got to come in with a good game plan,” Koepka said. “That’s kind of what we’re doing right now even though today wasn’t that good.”
Koepka trailed by two strokes to start the final round last year in Phoenix, but carded a closing 66 for a one-stroke victory.