Brooks Koepka: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Brooks Koepka made a run at Johnny Miller’s record at Oakmont Sunday (Getty)

Beginning the day six strokes over par, Brooks Koepka wasn’t part of the conversation for players capable of making a run at U.S. Open leader Shane Lowry at Oakmont C.C. However after bogeying two of his first three holes in the fourth round Koepka got hot, recording six birdies and an eagle in his next eight holes to reach even par for the tournament.

That hot streak had Koepka within striking distance of the best score ever recorded in a men’s major tournament. Johnny Miller holds the current record, as he shot a 63 in the final round of the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont. However bogeys on four straight holes beginning with the 14th kept Koepka from either tying or breaking Miller’s record. Here are five fast facts on Koepka, who shot a 2-under par 68 for the round and is in the midst of his best season as a professional.

1. Koepka Entered the U.S. Open Ranked 16th in the Official World Golf Rankings

This has been a good season for the 26-year old Koepka, as he now boasts five top ten finishes. Two of those finishes are of the runner-up variety, as he finished tied for second at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last weekend and alone in second at the AT&T Byron Nelson in late-May. He’s managed to earn points in the Official World Golf Rankings in 12 of the 14 eligible events he’s played in, with the Shell Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open being the lone exceptions.

2. Koepka Attended Florida State From 2008 to 2012

Koepka was the only freshman to play in all three fall tournaments for the Seminoles in 2008, which set the stage for his earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in the spring of 2009. Koepka finished tied for 27th in his first ACC tournament, and in the NCAA Southeast Regional his finish of sixth was the best amongst Florida State’s entrants in the event.

Koepka was even better as a sophomore, earning ACC Golfer of the Year and third team All-America honors as he led the Seminoles to the first Final Fore appearance in program history. By the time his career at Florida State came to an end Koepka was a two-time ACC Golfer of the Year selection and a three-time All-American, and he racked up a total of 19 top ten finishes (three wins) in four seasons.

Koepka has finished second in two events this season (Getty)

3. Koepka Began His Professional Career in 2012 on the European Challenge Tour

Koepka didn’t take long to pick up his first tournament victory after turning pro in the summer of 2012, winning the Chalenge de Catalunya by three strokes in late September. That would be the first of four wins on the European Challenge Tour for Koepka, with all four wins coming by at least three strokes. Koepka’s most dominant showing came at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España in June 2013, which he won by ten strokes with a score of 24-under par.

The win set a record for the largest margin of victory in a European Challenge Tour event. Koepka’s three wins on the 2013 Challenge Tour resulted in his earning a European Tour card for the remainder of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 campaign. During the 2013 European Tour he finished tied for 12th in the Scottish Open but did not make the cut for the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield.

4. Koepka has Earned more than $7 Million Since His First PGA Tour Event in 2014

Koepka failed to make the cut at the 2012 U.S. Open, but after not participating in the 2013 edition he came back in a big way at the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Koepka shot 1-over par for the tournament, finishing in a tie for fourth place and taking home a prize check of $326,310. That finish placed Koepka ten shots behind the winner, Martin Kaymer, but it also ensured him an invitation to the 2015 Masters at Augusta National.

Since beginning to compete on the PGA Tour in 2014, Koepka’s finished in the top ten in 15 events including his win at the Waste Management Open in 2015. His overall earnings on the PGA Tour stood at $7,100,709 entering this weekend’s U.S. Open.

5. Koepka’s Experience with Golf Began as a Result of a Car Accident

At the age of ten Koepka was a passenger in a car accident that left him with a fractured nose and sinus cavity. As a result of the injuries he was prohibited from playing contact sports that summer, leading to Koepka spending more time at the Okeeheelee Golf Course in his hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida according to a profile of him in Golf Digest.

When asked in that profile what his sport of choice would be, Koepka said baseball because “I come from a baseball family, and it’s in my blood.” Among the family connections to the national pasttime are great uncle Dick Groat, who played basketball at Duke and would be named National League MVP with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960.