Brooks Koepka was telling anyone who would listen that he was close – it was just a matter of making some putts.
Turns out he was right.
Debuting a new putter again this week, Koepka torched renovated TPC Craig Ranch with an 8-under 63 to set the early pace Thursday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
It was Koepka’s best round of the year, not just by score but also with how he felt.
“Just happy with the way everything went today,” said Koepka, who outplayed Scottie Scheffler (66) and Si Woo Kim (64) in the same group on Day 1.
Koepka has only one top-10 this season but attributed that mostly to his performance on the greens. An elite ball-striker once again, he is ranked 141st on Tour in strokes gained: putting and has been dreadful inside 15 feet. That has led to a series of changes this season, from equipment to setup, with little to show for it.
After the PGA, Koepka returned to South Florida and spent two days in his home putting studio, going back to the fundamentals. He also grabbed an old putter, the Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5, which he last used a few years ago. Those improved feels traveled to Dallas, where even Koepka’s longtime caddie, Ricky Elliott, noticed how good his boss’ stroke looked.
“Which also helps build a little confidence,” Koepka said, “what you feel versus the reality of it.”
During his season-best 63, Koepka had a clean card and rolled in nearly 90 feet worth of putts. When he finished his round, he was ranked fourth in the field in putting.
It’s an important week for Koepka, who is trying to gain entry into the final two signature events of the season. He can do so by winning this week at the Nelson, or by earning enough FedExCup points to qualify through the Aon Swing 5 and Next 10 standings.
“I feel like I’m knocking on the door, and I’m very, very close,” Koepka said. “I would love to have a chance come Sunday.”
