Koepka Secures Victory at Phoenix Open


Brooks Koepka closed with a 5-under 66 to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The $6.3 million event started Thursday at TPC Scottsdale during Super Bowl week in Arizona.

Koepka, a 24-year-old Floridian playing competitively for the first time in two months, finished with three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th to end up at 15-under 269, a stroke ahead of Bubba Watson (65), Ryan Palmer (66) and 22-year-old Japanese player, Hideki Matsuyama.

Playing in the final group with Matsuyama and Scotland's Martin Laird, Koepka held a one-stroke lead before teeing off at the par-4 18th. After finding the green in regulation, Koepka almost sealed the victory with a 20-foot birdie putt. But it just missed.

Matsuyama had a chance to tie Koepka with his birdie try, but the ball rolled off to the right, giving Koepka his first win in the States. The victory was worth $1.134 million and 500 FedEx Cup points.

Koepka has been playing around the world since graduating from Florida State. His first pro victory came last year on the European Tour's Turkish Airlines Open, leading him to be named that circuit's Rookie of the Year in 2014.

"It feels amazing," Koepka said at greenside of his first PGA Tour title. "The last few weeks have been a lot of hard work . . . everything seems to be going right. Feels good to get the win."

Laird, who entered the final round with a three-stroke edge over the field, bogeyed the 17th. The 32-year-old Scot then hit his drive on the 18th into a water hazard guarding the fairway, and from there double-bogeyed for a 72 and dropping into a share of fifth at 12-under with Arizona State junior, amateur Jon Rahm (68).

Sharing seventh at 11-under were Sweden's Freddie Jacobson (64), Canada's Graham DeLaet (70) and American Jordan Spieth (65).

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