Brooks Koepka carded rounds of 65 and 67 over the first two days to top the leaderboard at The Masters, where victory would give him his fifth major title and first since joining LIV; watch throughout the weekend exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf
Saturday 8 April 2023 12:44, UK
Brooks Koepka is the man to beat heading into the weekend at The Masters, with the former world No 1 in a much better place than during his previous two visits to Augusta National.
Koepka won four majors between 2017 and 2019 and contended in several others, before a string of knee and hip injuries - some of which were highlighted in the recent Netflix 'Full Swing' series - made him fear for his future at the highest level.
The American could barely stoop to read putts during his missed cut at The Masters in 2021, where he tried to rush back just weeks after knee surgery, and he was left frustrated again when back-to-back 75s saw him make an early exit in last year's contest.
"I don't even know if I should be saying this, but pretty sure I tried to break the back window with my fist of the car," Koepka admitted on Friday. "I tried to put it through the back window, not once but twice. First time didn't go, so figured try it again.
"Yeah, it was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. I've come a long way since then."
Koepka has not featured on the PGA Tour since then, struggling with his fitness during disappointing performances at the PGA Championship and US Open before confirming later that month he would be joining the LIV Golf circuit.
When asked whether a healthier Koepka would have found his decision to move more challenging, he admitted: "If I'm being completely honest, I think it would have been. But I'm happy with the decision I made.
"If I wasn't going to be able to move the way I wanted to, I didn't want to play the game anymore. It's just that simple. There was definitely moments of that. Last year was pretty tough. Just a lot of frustration."
Koepka continued to struggle with form and fitness before turning a corner with an inaugural LIV Golf victory in October, claiming play-off victory in Jeddah, while another win at the LIV Golf event in Orlando last Sunday gave him plenty of confidence going into the opening major of the year.
"Probably towards the end of last year, I felt it was coming," Koepka said. "It wasn't exactly all the way there. Probably, I'd say January I knew I was back. I knew everything was right where it needed to be strength-wise, mobility-wise and being able to do things with the golf swing."
Koepka said after becoming the first multiple winner on the Saudi-backed circuit that it would be "a huge statement" if one of the 18-strong LIV contingent could claim the Green Jacket this week, with the 32-year-old laying down a marker himself and setting the clubhouse target with a dominant two days.
"I feel really good," Koepka said after a bogey-free 67 on Friday. "I like the way I'm swinging the golf club, putting it, chipping it, driving it, iron play is solid. It feels really similar [to his run of major success]. Didn't really do too much wrong."
Koepka will head into what is scheduled to be a weather-disrupted weekend as the firm favourite to add to his major tally, although the eight-time PGA Tour winner already has one eye on joining golf's most exclusive club.
"The whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right," Koepka said. "I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won The Open as well. Look, I guess it [winning at Augusta] is one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I've done what I should have accomplished in this game."
There was a period in golf where you felt Koepka was going to win almost every major he teed it up in. Based on the first two rounds, it would be no surprise to see those times return.
"He is playing beautiful golf," Sky Sports' Butch Harmon said. "He is not going backwards. The others are going to have to come and get him."
Watch The Masters throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues from the earlier time of 1pm on Saturday on Sky Sports Golf, with a host of bonus feeds available via the red button.
