PGA Tour
Waste Management Phoenix Open
Koepka Reclaims Form to Win the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Brooke Koepka returned to the winner’s circle after winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
The American 30-year-old, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at this event in 2015, came from a five shot deficit at the end of round three to score his eighth PGA Tour victory. It was a surprise form reversal for the former world No. 1 who came into the event on the back of three consecutive missed cuts after battling knee and hip injuries in 2020.
During the drama-filled final stretch of holes, just one shot split ten players at the top of the leaderboard.
Koepka muscled his way to victory with a superb 6-under 65 in the final round that included picking up five shots over the closing six holes. The four-time major champion bolted to the lead at the 17th hole with a miraculous chip-in eagle from 97 feet. A steady par at the final hole left him at 19-under.
Fellow American Xander Schauffele produced a birdie at the 72nd hole to get to 18-under and share second place with Korea’s Kyoung-Hoon Lee. Schauffele held the 54-hole lead with Jordan Spieth, but could only manage an even par final round 71. It was the eighth time he has finished runner-up at a PGA Tour event since winning the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. World No. 263 Lee, who was a former shot put athlete, carded a final round 3-under 68 for his best result on the PGA Tour.
Playing in the final group with Schauffele on Sunday, Spieth returned a disappointing 1-over 72 to fall to 17-under and in a tie for fourth place. The former world No. 1 was in search of his first PGA Tour win in more than three years. He was joined at 17-under by Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz. The 29-year-old fired the hottest round of the leading bunch with a 7-under 64 that included an eagle at the 15th hole and back-to-back birdies to close out the superb round. Veteran Tour member Steve Stricker was the third player to finish in a tie for fourth place after a final round 4-under 67. Stricker, aged 53, was trying to become the oldest winner in PGA Tour history.
The PGA Tour returns to California next week for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.
Final Results
Waste Management Phoenix Open
1. Brooks Koepka -19
T2. Xander Schauffele -18
T2. Kyoung-Hoo Lee -18
T4. Jordan Spieth -17
T4. Steve Stricker -17
T4. Carlos Ortiz -17
Australians
T30. Matt Jones -10
MC. Jason Day
Photo credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
