Brooks Koepka has won professional events in Spain, Italy, Scotland and Turkey, but now he can add Japan to his list of global conquests.
Koepka held off a hard-charging Yuta Ikeda to win the 84-man Dunlop Phoenix for his first worldwide victory since capturing the Waste Management Phoenix Open last February.
Koepka began the day five shots ahead of Ikeda, but the latter birdied 10 of his first 15 holes to square the proceedings. Koepka then birdied his final two holes for a 6-under 65 that left him at 21 under, one shot clear of Ikeda despite a closing 61.
“To watch (Ikeda) fire 10 under was very impressive,” Koepka told reporters. “I just hung in there, and it was nice to finish with two birdies coming in.”
Other notable finishes in Miyazaki included Justin Thomas (T-4), Smylie Kaufman (T-11), Harold Varner III (T-11) and Emiliano Grillo (T-16).
The win is the seventh career victory for Koepka, 26, who won four times on the European Challenge Tour before earning his card on the European Tour and PGA Tour. It also comes two weeks after he finished solo second at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.
Koepka, who started the week ranked No. 21 in the world, is now expected to move up to No. 17.