When you think of Brooks Koepka, it’s logical to think of his prodigious game off the tee. Or perhaps his precision iron play. But what often goes overlooked is that Koepka knows how to make his way around and on the greens and it was those skills that propelled him to victory at the WGC event in Memphis by three over Webb Simpson.
Sure, Koepka averaged 309.1 yards to rank fourth in the field with his 10.5-degree TaylorMade M5 driver with a Mitsubishi Diamana White D+ 70 TX shaft. Koepka, used the M3 460 model earlier in the year, but switched to the company’s M5 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. And yes, he ranked T-8 in greens in regulation (including hitting his first 17 greens during Saturday’s third round) with his Mizuno’s JPX 919 Tour irons with Golf Pride Tour Velvet cord grips.
The irons boast a design where the topline is selectively thinned and the saved mass relocated in the toe and sole to provide added forgiveness. But it was Kopeka’s work with his Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport 2 SLT 10, a putter with a teryllium insert that is similar to what Tiger Woods used to win the 1997 Masters.
Koepka led the field in strokes gained/putting at TPC Southwind, gaining more than nine strokes on the field in the process, including nearly four strokes on Sunday alone, aided by a 20-footer for birdie on No.6 and a 12-footer for birdie on No.17. Koepka also led the field in scrambling, converting more than 90 percent of his opportunities (11 of 12).
A bomber? Sure. But when it comes to Koepka, he’s a bomber with a complete skill set.
What Brooks Koepka had in the bag at the 2019 PGA
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: TaylorMade M5 (Mitsubishi Diamana White Board D + 70), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: TaylorMade M2 2017, 16.5 degrees
Irons (3): Nike Vapor Fly Pro; (4-PW): Mizuno JPX 919 Tour
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey SM4 TVD (60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport 2 SLT 10
