Brooks Koepka has had a stellar 2023 season, which has been on full show in Saudi Arabia this week.
After carding an 8-under 62 throughout Saturday’s second spherical, the five-time main champion finds himself atop the leaderboard on the closing particular person occasion of the LIV Golf season.
“Made eight birdies, 10 pars. Performed fairly stable,” Koepka mentioned of his spherical.
“I made a few good putts early on, which clearly helps with momentum, and drove it fairly effectively aside from on one, my final gap. I by no means actually felt like I had an opportunity to make a bogey. Fairly happy with it in the present day.”
Since LIV Golf makes use of a shotgun begin format, Koepka began on the par-4 2nd gap, which he simply birdied.
The previous Florida State Seminole made a par on the par-3 third earlier than reeling off 4 straight birdies.
By the point he reached the fifteenth tee field—his 14th gap of the spherical—Koepka sat at 8-under with 5 holes to play.
A sub-60 spherical was undoubtedly doable.
However Koepka cooled off as he completed with 5 straight pars.
He sits at 12-under general by way of 36 holes and holds a three-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Charles Howell III heading into Sunday’s closing spherical.
Bryson DeChambeau and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe sit a stroke behind second place, at 8-under, 4 strokes again.
“Simply received to go play a great spherical of golf,” Koepka mentioned when requested what he should do to win. “Simply maintain doing what I’m doing. It appears to be working since I’m on the prime. Simply go play good and see what occurs tomorrow.”
Koepka gained the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational — Jeddah occasion over Peter Uihlein in a playoff. That marked his first victory on the Saudi-backed tour.
Now, he’s in prime place to win on Saudi Arabian soil but once more, which might mark his third victory of the 2023 calendar 12 months.
In fact, Koepka gained the PGA Championship at Oak Hill and emerged victorious on the LIV Golf Invitational – Orlando.
His victory within the Sunshine State got here one week earlier than the Masters, the place he tied for second alongside Phil Mickelson.
Koepka has three different top-five finishes on the LIV circuit this 12 months.
If he does go on to shut it out on Sunday, Koepka will end third within the particular person season-long standings, thus incomes him an additional $8 million.
However in contrast to the PGA Tour, main victories don’t depend within the equation for LIV Golf’s particular person factors. In the event that they did, Koepka would absolutely be on the prime.
However, he has a superb alternative to cap off a terrific and historic season on the Royal Greens Golf & Nation Membership alongside the Pink Sea.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.
