SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Brooks Koepka would like a little bit of pain. At least then, he said, what he’s dealing with in his left hand would make sense.
“It just feels like you hit your funny bone all the time,” he described Tuesday at the U.S. Open.
Koepka withdrew prior to Sunday’s final round of the RBC Canadian Open because of numbness in his left pinkie and ring fingers. He has since had a neck scan, which was negative, and determined that he’s dealing with an ulnar nerve flare-up.
It doesn’t hurt and he’s still not sure of the root cause. But it’s certainly nothing that’s going to prevent him from teeing off Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET at Shinnecock Hills.
“The movement’s fine. I can do everything,” Koepka said of his swing. “It’s literally just my ring finger and pinkie finger were just kind of – and the transition coming down, they would come off. It felt like they were coming off the golf club, but they were just very weak. Then as soon as impact would come with the turf interaction, it felt like it was fully off.
“So excited to be able to hold a golf club again.”
Defending champion, of sorts
Koepka is returning to the site of his 2018 U.S. Open triumph. That was a successful title defense as he won in 2017 at Erin Hills. This, too, is a chance to repeat as it’s the first major at Shinnecock in eight years.
It’s been a Lombard Street-type journey since then for Koepka, but it’s led back to here, where he feels encouraged by his form.
“I feel just as good. I think ball striking is even better than what it’s been,” he said when asked to compare his game now to 2018. “Putting, I had a great week putting last week (prior to the WD). I’m excited for the challenge. This course can be quite difficult. You’re going to have to be creative around this place and really, really work on your angles coming in. I’m excited about it, and the game feels good.”
Koepka, much like others, described his Shinnecock strategy as, “we play the hole backwards,” depending on where each pin is located. This, he added, is his first trip back to the Long Island venue since his major triumph. One thing that has stood out is green speed.
“Definitely slower than I remember,” he said. “I’m not saying they’re slow, but it’s a lot different than what I remember as far as firmness.”
The USGA seems to be playing things conservatively early in the week, especially with high winds in the forecast (officials will speak Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET). Previous iterations at Shinnecock, including its two most recent times as host in 2004 and 2018, had their share of controversial moments. Koepka won in ’18 at 1 over par with two-time major champion Zach Johnson saying the USGA had “lost the course.”
Koepka, who has six top-20 finishes in his return from LIV Golf to the PGA Tour, isn’t one for public bemoaning. He takes what’s offered and does what he can with it. This week, it’s a bit of tingling.
“I don’t think the grip strength is a hundred percent,” he said, “but it’s good enough. It’s fine.”
