'I'm Glad We Stopped' - Koepka Says Masters Suspension Was 'Spot On'

The Masters leader was happy that play was called after just six holes of the third round on Saturday afternoon

Brooks Koepka smiles under an umbrella during The Masters
Koepka will take a four stroke lead into Sunday at Augusta
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brooks Koepka was happy that play was called on Saturday afternoon at The Masters after what was a brutal day of weather at Augusta National.

Round two of the first Major of the year had to be finished this morning due to lightning on Friday, with players who still had to finish their second rounds faced with much colder conditions and heavy rain.

Koepka wasn't one of them, but he was out in the final group on Saturday where the weather was just as bad. By the time he, Jon Rahm and Sam Bennett got to the 7th green, it was essentially flooded and play was suspended for the rest of the day.

"It's obviously super difficult," Koepka said of the conditions. "Ball's not going anywhere. You've got rain to deal with, and it's freezing cold. It doesn't make it easy. You've got to make some pressure putts. You know it was going to be a difficult day. You've just got to grind through it and try to salvage something."

The four-time Major winner said his bunker shot on the 7th and final hole of the day skidded a little and he thought that the right call was made to bring the players back tomorrow morning, where he has a tricky par putt to navigate and then 29 holes left to complete to try and hold off Jon Rahm to win his first Green Jacket and fifth Major.

"That 7th green was soaked," Brooks Koepka said. "It was very tough. I thought I hit a good bunker shot, and it looked like it just skidded on the water. So I'm glad we stopped.

"I think it was spot on. Maybe I couldn't have hit that bunker shot on 7, but at the end of the day, it's fine. I'm okay with it."

Koepka managed to double his lead in the six holes of round three. Having started at 12-under, two clear of Rahm, he ended the day 13-under and four ahead of the Spaniard who had dropped to nine-under.

US amateur champion Sam Bennett is in third at six under, with Cantlay, Fitzpatrick, Morikawa and Hovland all at five-under.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV