Brooks Koepka Putting Stats Say He Can Challenege At US Open

Brooks Koepka during the Myrtle Beach Classic — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Brooks Koepka finally found the key to putting just in time for his US Open return to Shinnecock Hills, as he produced a stellar opening two rounds on the greens at the RBC Canadian Open.

He's been desperately searching for an answer to his putting woes, switching flat sticks a few times, but with a new model of putter bedding in nicely, a change of mental approach seemed to unlock his potential just in time for the US Open.

Koepka is the defending US Open champion at Shinnecock Hills, where he won his second successive title in 2018, following on from his breakthrough win 12 months earlier at Erin Hills.

And judging by the last two US Opens held at Shinnecock, it's a course where your putting needs to be right on point to survive.

The 36-year-old has been one of the elite ball strikers on the PGA Tour since his return from LIV Golf, but he's been held back by his putting struggles - if he can put it all together again then watch out for him at Shinnecock.

After chopping and changing flat sticks, a switch to a mallett at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson looks to have done the trick, judging by his efforts at the RBC Canadian Open.

Koepka had two good rounds and two bad rounds at the Byron Nelson, but produced a superb first round in Toronto on the greens - holing 108 feet of putts and gaining 3.491 strokes putting.

He followed that up with 3.380 Strokes Gained: Putting in the second round with over 112 feet of putts holed, to see Koepka in unfamiliar territory as the No.1 ranked putter in the field at the Canadian Open.

After entering the tournament 136th in Strokes Gained: Putting on the PGA Tour, it was a huge turnaround for Koepka after previously only managing to pick up strokes on the greens in two of his past six starts.

Brooks Koepka with the US Open trophy — Brooks Koepka won the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills

Conversely, Koepka came to Canada as the best ball striker in the field in the last three months, with a long game he felt was more than good enough to challenge for wins - but being scuppered by his putter.

"I've played great this year," said Koepka. "It's just the putting that's held me back.

"I just need that putter to heat up. I feel like I’ve been knocking on the door playing good enough to win, playing good enough to have a chance on Sunday, it’s just been the putter that’s holding me back.

"It was just a culmination of kind of freeing the mind. If you just change one thing, move the ball position back a little bit with the putter and kind of help be free up the mechanical side of it and not really think of anything other than just have it slightly a bit back of where it's been."

Koepka has said for a while that his game was near to its best again, aside from his putting, but if he has now truly found his form on the putting surfaces then he'll be one to watch back on familiar territory at the US Open.

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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.