Brooks Koepka (AFP/ROSS Kinnaird)

With what must have felt like the entire golf world rooting against him, American Brooks Koepka kept his composure to win his 3rd major in spectacular style at the 100th PGA Championship.

Koepka fought off a surging Tiger Woods, who got as close as 1 stroke to Koepka’s lead in the final round. The 100th PGA Championship was held at the Bellerive Country Club (par 70) in St. Louis, Missouri, a venue and city that had not hosted a major championship in 26 years.

The roaring capacity crowd was overwhelmingly cheering for Woods, who hit a remarkable 6 under 64 to finish in 2nd with a cumulative total of 14 under par. The 42-year-old shot the lowest round he’s ever posted in the final round of a major. The valiant Koepka finished 2 strokes ahead of Woods at 16 under par, hitting a solid 4 under par 66 in the final round.

After his victory, Koepka was asked about the incredible crowd support for Woods, to which he said: “Yeah, I think, other than me, my team, everybody was rooting for Tiger. I mean, as they should. He’s probably, he is the greatest player to ever play the game, and to have the comeback that he’s having is incredible.”

The remarkable Koepka has won three of the last six majors he’s played, which is an astounding feat. With this record he’s clearly been the best player in the world over the past year. However, based on the Official World Golf Rankings, which covers performance over a two-year period, he still sits in second position after fellow American Dustin Johnson.

Built more like a weightlifter, the muscular Koepka commented on what makes him peak in the majors: “Yeah, I’m just […] maybe a different person when I show up to the majors. I’m very focused, very disciplined. I’m in the house. My agent, Claude my coach and the chef from the Floridian, he’s there, he’s cooking for us. Everyone’s much more on the same routine.

“Everybody knows what to expect, what to do. I want to say maybe I’ve matured a little bit more off the golf course, which has kind of helped me on the golf course the last few years, being in a routine, waking up, going right to the gym.”

Just two months ago Koepka defended his US Open win in New York to capture his 2nd major championship title.

Koepka, known as a power hitter, was driving the ball off the tee for what seemed like a kilometer at Bellerive and straight as a laser. An impressed Woods commented: “And Brooksy, what he’s doing back there is, it’s tough to beat when the guy hits it 340 [yards] down the middle, that’s tough. What he did at Shinnecock [US Open], just bombing it, and then he’s doing the same thing here. I played with him in a practice round, and he was literally hitting it 340, 350 [yards] in the air. And when a guy’s doing that and hitting it straight and as good a putter as he is, it’s tough to beat.”

Woods for his part played an incredible final round in record fashion. He was pressing all day, buoyed by the exuberant crowd. Knowing he was 2 strokes back after an unexpected birdie on the 18th hole, he exploded with a fist pump exhilarating the adoring and roaring fans.

Both Koepka and Woods returned to golf early in the year after career-threatening injuries.

Woods said: “And so, at the beginning of the year, if you would say, yeah, I would have a legit chance to win the last two major championships, with what swing? I didn’t have a swing at the time. I had no speed. I didn’t have a golf swing. My short game wasn’t quite there yet. My putting was okay, but I hadn’t played in two years.

“So it’s been a hell of a process for sure. I’m in uncharted territory, because no one’s ever had a fused spine hitting it like I’m hitting it. So I had to kind of figure this out on my own, and it’s been really hard, it’s a lot harder than people think.”

Koepka, for his part, paid tribute to Woods: “As a kid growing up, that’s the whole reason that all of us, or people in my generation, are even playing golf was because of Woods.

And to duel it out with them, that’s pretty neat. I don’t think I ever dreamed of that, that situation that I was in today. It really is surreal. It’s really cool.”

At 28, Koepka, already with 3 majors, has a chance to become one of the greatest players to play the game. He could possibly win more than 10 majors over the course of his long career ahead.

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