Hand injury improving for Brooks Koepka ahead of Shinnecock Hills return

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Returning to the site of one of his crowning achievements, Brooks Koepka declared that he’s healthy enough to tee it up this week at the 126th U.S. Open.

Koepka spoke to media Tuesday just a few hundred yards from the 18th green at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where in 2018 he became the first player in 29 years to successfully defend a U.S. Open title. His one-shot win over Tommy Fleetwood came a year after his major breakthrough at Erin Hills, and it was the second of Koepka’s now five major championship victories.

What was expected to be a welcome return to a course where he once summited the mountain took a bit of a turn over the weekend, when Koepka abruptly withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open. The 36-year-old was near the lead through 36 holes at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley before fading on Saturday while dealing with a hand injury that impacted his ability to grip the club. He withdrew ahead of his final-round tee time.

Speaking Tuesday at Shinnecock Hills, Koepka shared that his ulnar nerve “just flared up a little bit” and impacted his feeling and sensation in the ring and pinkie fingers of his left hand. A recent scan on his neck came up negative, and he’s continuing to see improvement heading toward his opening-round tee time alongside Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup.

“Excited to be able to hold a golf club again,” Koepka said. “I don’t think the grip strength is a hundred percent, but it’s good enough. It’s fine. There’s no pain. There’s absolutely no pain, which is kind of the weirdest part of this whole thing.”

An unencumbered Koepka should be a frightening prospect for the players in this week’s field who were here eight years ago. Shinnecock Hills can humble even the world’s best, but in 2018 Koepka stared it down and lived to tell the tale. Not one to dive deep into data minutiae, he eschews everything from yardage books to pin sheets to wind maps, which this week seem to play an outsized role with many players.

“I just kind of wake up that day and go,” Koepka said.

It’s not a mindset that would serve everyone in the 156-man field, but it delivered him great success here the last time this championship was played on the eastern tip of Long Island. Nearly out of the mix after an opening-round 75, he made a second-round surge and then did just enough over the weekend to hold off a hard-charging Fleetwood.

Koepka’s return to the PGA TOUR this year has featured moments of brilliance but lacks a standout moment. He has six top-25 finishes in 12 starts but just one top-10 result, with clinical iron play (fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach) often undone by a balky putter. The FedExCup Playoffs remain within reach, but his withdrawal in Canada meant that he won’t play in any of this year’s Signature Events.

Last week appeared to be a chance for Koepka’s highlight moment, with what he called a “great week” of putting that included an opening-round 64, but things went awry in a different direction. Koepka was all smiles Tuesday, eager to put the withdrawal behind him and focus on another quest for major glory – where he has spent the last decade distancing himself from the pack with great frequency.

Eight years ago, he carved out a new chapter in U.S. Open history with his back-to-back triumph. This time around, and with his hand injury now on the mend, he’s eyeing another page in the record books as he looks to become the first player to win multiple U.S. Open titles at the same venue since Jack Nicklaus at Baltusrol (1967 and 1980).

“I feel just as good. I think ball-striking is even better than what it’s been,” Koepka said. “I’m excited for the challenge. This course can be quite difficult. You’re going to have to be creative around this place and really, really work on your angles coming in. I’m excited about it, and the game feels good.”