The US Open could be left without a defending champion. With all due respect to JJ Spaun, we mean Brooks Koepka, winner of the US Open in 2018, the last time it was played at Shinnecock Hills. The five-time major champion withdrew this Sunday from the RBC Canadian Open before starting the final round because of a problem with his left hand that had already clearly affected him during Saturday’s play. The week had started with very positive, even encouraging signs, co-leading the tournament after the first day, but it has ended with a big question mark: his presence at Shinnecock Hills is currently in doubt
Koepka did not go out to play the final round at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The official reason given by the PGA Tour was a hand injury. It remains to be seen whether it is merely a precaution or something more. On Saturday, during the third round, he was already treated before going out onto the course and also during the round. In fact, he could be seen accompanied by a physiotherapist for much of the round and received treatment at the 11th hole. He ended up carding a 72, two over par, his worst round of the week, and afterwards he explained quite clearly that something was wrong. But he finished playing
“Yes, I don’t know what it is”, Koepka said after the third round. “I have trouble gripping the club with my ring and little fingers, so I can’t hold it properly. The club feels loose in my hand, my fingers kept slipping, it was as if they were numb. I don’t know what happened, but I hope we find out”
The explanation was worrying and set off alarms that were confirmed this Sunday. It wasn’t a blow, nor an overuse injury, nor a one-off issue. He was talking about not being able to grip the club because of a discomfort that appeared almost without warning. Strange. “During the whole warm-up in the gym I felt fine, I was perfect. Then I got to the practice area, went to grip the club and I couldn’t even hold it. And it lasted all day. I felt better on the last holes. I don’t know whether it was because the medication kicked in or what”
Plot twist. Koepka had started the RBC Canadian Open with a 64 that left him tied for the lead and which, beyond the result, offered a very interesting read ahead of the US Open. He had been looking for answers with the putter after a very inconsistent season on the greens and in Canada he seemed to have found something. That opening round was one of his best performances of the year on the greens. A 68 on Friday kept him close to the lead and fed the feeling that Koepka could arrive at Shinnecock being more than just a factor. Now everything has changed
The news hits directly in the build-up to the US Open. Koepka is not just anyone. Shinnecock Hills was the scene of his second successive US Open title, in 2018, a victory that helped cement his status as one of the great specialists in the majors. There he withstood a brutal test better than anyone, on an extreme course, and claimed the fourth of the five majors on his record
Now, eight years on, his return to Shinnecock is dependent on the evolution of that hand. The US Open starts on Thursday and the recovery window is minimal. Against the clock. The question is no longer whether Koepka will arrive with good feel for his game, but whether he will be able to play and in what condition
