Former World No. 1 Brooks Koepka Moves To Highest Ranking Since 2024 Dunhill Links

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Former World No. 1 Brooks Koepka has moved to his highest World Ranking in twelve months since his top-10 finish in last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The LIV Golf attached Koepka’s efforts a year ago saw him move to back to World No. 64 but since then the champion American has contested just eight OWGR touranments including yesterday’s concluding 40th edition ot the Alfred Dunhill Links.

In arriving back to Scotland for a first time in a year Koepka was ranked World No. 235 and his T15th result yesterday has seen him move to World No. 217 which is a far cry from reaching the pinnacle of the rankings in 2018 in winning the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in October that year.

Koepka then went on to dominate the rankings winning five major championships through June 2018 and on into May 2019.

Of course, there is now the bigger disjointed men’s professional picture where LIV tournaments do not register OWGR rankings where back in 2019 Koepka contested 22 OWGR counting events, he’s played a total of just 20 since the 2023 Open Championship and when a PGA Tour member.

Koepka is not bothered and is getting on with his career and being afforded invitations to tee-up in recent DP World Tour events such as the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship, French Open and the Dunhill Links.

While again enjoying the Scottish event, the enormously brutal late second day ‘Storm Amy’ conditions Koepka and his fellow competitors no  favours.  Koepka had produced an opening rounds of 67 and then on day two he was just four shots off the lead and with six holes to play when the worst of the weather Kingsbarns Links.

Koepka ended the round four from the front and despite the weather, well in contention with two rounds to play but then as we now know, the event was reduced to three rounds and the five-time major champ eight shots adrift of new champion Bob MacIntyre.

Of course, it didn’t help the likes of the LIV attached Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer to be drawn to tee-up among the last groups on Friday with the brutal weather hitting all three courses near lunch.

“The weather conditons we experienced late Friday and then had to face on Saturday, were probably the worst conditions we’ve had to compete in and also probably the worst we ever face”, said Koepka whose long-time caddy Ricky Elliott from Northern Ireland was carrying a USA Ryder Cup bag though Koepka was not in the Bethpage Park losing side,

“I had played really well up until late there on Friday with the four bogeys in succession at Kingsbarns hurting but then I came out today and felt I played well.

“I thought I could do all I could do.   It also wasn’t ideal being one of the last tee times on Friday”.

Koepka’s response promoted the question if he felt officials got is correct to allow players to continue playing well into the storm that was wreaking havoc with scoring and then ridiculously send the players out at 12.30pm on Saturday.

“I think the only mistake that was made … I knew on Thursday afternoon that the weather was going to be bad on Friday afternoon and the officials should have done was to bring the tee-times up an hour”, he said.

“We could have gone out at 7.30am and not 11,50 as out group did.  That is the only thing they really messed-up on.  So, an hour-and-a-half earlier with the Friday tee-time and we all would have got done”.

Koepka posted 15 birdies over the three rounds but, as mentioned, it was the four bogeys in succession late on Friday in the driving rain and wind that really put paid to his chances.

“I am happy with my game and it feels good and I like the way I have switched into the ‘red’ ball”, he said.

“Everything has been great ever since,

“This is now my last event for a while. I’m not quite sure where I will next play. I may play one or two events at the end of the year.  If not, I’ll be back out in January”,

 



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