Emergency 9: PGA Championship, Round 4

Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the 100th PGA Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis plays 7,316 yards to Par-70.

No Blues in St. Louis

Brooks Koepka fired a final-round 66 to post 264 (-16) and set the PGA Championship scoring record as he defeated Tiger Woods by two shots. Adam Scott rounded off the podium alone in third on 13-under-par 267. This was Koepka's second major championship this season and third in his last six attempts.

The two-time U.S. Open champion will not only have his name etched on the Wannamaker trophy but his feat will go down in permanent ink in the history of the game. He joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Woods as the only players to win the U.S. Open/PGA Championship double in the same season. His victory at the 100th PGA (which will be the new name next year) comes in his 100th start on TOUR and is his 11th win worldwide as a professional.

Playing in the final group with Scott, there was plenty of drama on a perfect, hot Sunday afternoon. After bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5, he made a seven-footer for par on No. 6 to stop the bleeding. He rattled off three consecutive birdies to go out in 33. The bogey on No. 5 would be the last of the day as he played his final 13 holes in five-under-par.

The secret to his success was hardly that as he bombed away with nine of 14 fairways that led to 14 of 18 GIR. Sir Nick Faldo mentioned on the broadcast he had FORTY attempts of 18 feet or less for birdie over four rounds and he took advantage. He made 22 birdies against just four bogeys and a double for the week.

It's incredible to fathom that in the middle of March that he was unsure if he would ever play golf, or golf at this level, as he nursed a wrist injury that wasn't improving. Gamers who sat tight and waited for evidence were given plenty of it after he defended his U.S. Open title. He held off FedExCup Playoffs No. 1 Dustin Johnson in the final group that week. This week he was all square with Adam Scott on No. 12 tee box with Woods lurking. He's beaten the current "best" and he's beaten two of the best of the generation when the biggest bucks are on the table. Now, about these weekly TOUR events!

Know Thy Enemy

These were the top-10 selected, plus one, golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO.

Dustin Johnson looked human this week as he didn't fire for the second major running (MC at Carnoustie). This is only the second time in his last six starts he didn't hit the podium. Timing is everything in life and, obviously, fantasy golf.

PAIN OR GAIN

These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO:

Jason Day and Justin Thomas were both T6 and ready to run down Koepka but it wasn't to be. Day had the toughest day of the top three as his 71 saw him drop 13 spots to T19. Thomas, who was battling some incredible history in trying to become the only player besides Woods to defend the PGA title, ran out of ideas over the last five holes (+2) and didn't move on the leaderboard.

So Close

Tiger Woods was also battling some serious history as he has never come-from-behind to win a major championship. After not hitting any fairways on the front nine he still found a way to turn in 32 and make his presence known. He was one stroke behind Koepka and Scott but a bogey, cause by another missed fairway, saw his challenge fade. He also had a putt quit on the lip and another horseshoe away but his effort and grinding were top class. Last week he mentioned how he was beaten up and he started this week with ice baths to get fit. His putter and irons fired at will and only Tony Finau made more birdies. For me, this was a massive referendum on his toughness and his game under pressure as he finally played all 72 holes. I was dead wrong on him this week and have no problem admitting it. He throws a massive curveball moving forward to gamers as we'll have to sort out if he's "back" or if he's "majors-back".

Heavy Heart

It couldn't have been easy for Adam Scott to be playing for his recently departed friend Jarrod Lyle but it's obvious his passing inspired the big hitter from Down Under. Scott didn't blink after a bogey on No. 1 as he rattled off five birdies in seven holes in the middle of his round to tie the lead. As with Woods' tee ball, it was Scott's putter that did him in eventually. He had decent birdie chances from around 18 feet on Nos. 14 and 15 and missed a near-seven footer on No. 17 that would have cut the lead to one. This was his best finish on TOUR since he won back-to-back at Honda and WGC-Mexico Championship in 2016.

Beware the Injured Golfers

Rickie Fowler was dealing with an oblique issue all week long but was game at T12. He looked anything but comfortable but grounded out a solid performance all things considered. ... Justin Rose sat out last week with back spasms but couldn't improve on his opening round 67 as he cashed T19. ... Rory McIlroy was sporting tape on his forearm that seemed to bother his wedge/iron game. He finished the week No. 72 of 80 players who made the cut in Strokes-Gained: Approach-the-Green. I think everyone is banged up this time of year but there were reports floating that he might miss the first FedExCup Playoffs event. Stay tuned. ... Henrik Stenson missed the cut as he continues to nurse an elbow issue. ... Haotong Li WD after two rounds with a wrist injury.

Major Players

A total of 11 players made the cut in all four majors this season. Store this away for next year!

Sunday Silence

Charl Schwartzel teased investors with a 63 last week and Round 2 this week, tying the PGA Championship record. He was one off the pack at 8 under beginning Sunday and was looking to better his solo third earlier this year at Augusta. Sunday played the easiest of the four rounds this week but Schwartzel was second-to-last in Strokes-Gained: Tee-to-Green and 60th in Strokes-Gained: Putting. His 75 included no birdies and he eventually landed at T42.

Study Hall

The Round 4 scoring average 69.338, was the easiest of the week, as Bellerive checked in at 69.952 (-0.048) for the week. ... There were three bogey-free rounds in the final round. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (64), Tyrrell Hatton (64) and Francesco Molinari (67) all used their efforts to pick up top-10 checks. ... David Toms held the previous major championship tournament record as he posted 265 in 2001. ... Club Professional Ben Kern finished T42.