Brooks Koepka will be sitting out the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, this week, after competing for three straight weeks on the PGA Tour.
In his return to the Tour this season, Koepka has taken every opportunity to prove himself and previously said, “Every week is a new fresh start for me, and I’m obviously, with my penalty, I’m not allowed to play every event, and if I get the chance to tee up, I want to play.” But after grinding the last few weeks he withdrew from Colonial on Sunday evening.
The 36-year-old finished T-14 Sunday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. Prior to that Texas tournament, Koepka played in the PGA Championship outside of Philadelphia at Aronimink Golf Club and finished T-55.
“Any major is always a difficult week,” Koepka said before Byron Nelson. “It’s the third week in a row for me, which is usually —-I like playing a little bit, playing a few weeks in a row and kind of build up that momentum, build a rhythm.”
Prior to the PGA, Koepka finished T-11 at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, so it’s undoubtedly been a busy stretch for the former LIV Golf player.
Koepka’s withdrawal from this week’s event means he won’t qualify for the Memorial Tournament the first week of June in Dublin, Ohio, the Tour’s seventh signature event of the season. His decision not to play also impacts the alternates in the field at the Charles Schwab. Under the Returning Members Program, if Koepka had stayed in the tournament, the field would have expanded from 132 players to 135.
Looking ahead, Koepka has committed to the RBC Canadian Open, June 11-14, and then the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club the following week. Last time the U.S. Open was played at the Southampton course, Koepka went home with the major trophy.
So far this season in Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour, he’s played in 11 tournaments and only missed the cut three times, and it’s safe to say, he’s been enjoying the hustle.
“I’ve kind of fallen back in love with this,” he said. “I’m enjoying the grind. I’m enjoying battling it out here.”
