As the likes of Bubba Watson, Kramer Hickok and Jason Day set the tone through the first three rounds of the Travelers Championship, Brooks Koepka hung back.
He trailed co-leaders Hickok and Satoshi Kodaira by six shots after Thursday’s opening round, trailed leader Jason Day by five after the second round, and was five back of Hickok and Watson through 54 holes.
Koepka, the world’s eighth-ranked golfer and four-time major winner, clearly has the game to win at TPC River Highlands. He showed some of that Sunday with a 5-under 65 to get to 10-under for the tournament, although it was too little, too late. Koepka finished tied for fifth alongside Abraham Ancer, Kevin Kisner, Hank Lebioda, Brian Harman and Brice Garnett.
“It was all right,” Koepka said. “Nothing special. I didn’t think play great, didn’t play poorly either. It was just kind of average golf.”
The 31-year-old cited fatigue throughout the week and admitted he doesn’t play well in weeks following major championships. Koepka tied for fourth at last week’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. He last won a major in 2019 — the PGA Championship. His last non-major win came that year, too, at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
Koepka’s performances at TPC River Highlands have been a mixed bag. He tied for 27th in 2014, tied for ninth in 2016, tied for 19th in 2018 and tied for 57th in 2019. Last year — the one year the tournament didn’t follow a major — Koepka withdrew after his caddie tested positive for COVID-19.
“It’s all mental,” Koepka said. “I’m going to be flat out honest: I can’t focus. A major, I get excited and I feel stuff on the first tee. I just struggle to do that in regular events. The focus and discipline is there in a major where it’s not here. I kind of go for everything.”
Kisner can’t overcome inconsistencies
There were two shades of Kisner at the Travelers Championship this week: The one that posted 7-under 63′s on Friday and Sunday, and the one that shot even par on Thursday and 4-over par on Saturday.
The two 63′s kept the 37-year-old in contention, but the collective 4-over in his two other rounds stopped him from having a real chance to win as he finished his tournament at 10-under, tied for fifth.
“Very weird,” Kisner said. “First day 18 pars, didn’t feel great, didn’t make anything. Felt like I made everything on Friday. Couldn’t get anything to go together on the Saturday, then get hot there on the last eight holes today was a lot of fun. It’s kind of been like a roller coaster all year, so good to be on the positive side.”
Even as Kisner finished his final round — then tied for the lead — he knew it wouldn’t be enough to to pick up his fourth PGA Tour win.
“The leaderboard is so crowded and there are plenty of birdie opportunities on the back,” Kisner said. “I felt like just to finish top five I probably needed to birdie the last hole.”
Herman joins hole-in-one party
Jim Herman, who finished the tournament tied for 25th at 6 under, recorded the third hole-in-one of the week’s event on the 16th hole on Sunday.
Herman hit his tee shot over the water on 16 and into the hole from 154 yards out to join Ancer and Kyle Stanley — both of whom posted aces on 8 on Saturday.
Herman’s hole-in-one marked the first time since 2011 that three players recorded one at TPC River Highlands.
