Brooks Koepka sidelined for 10 weeks, hoping to play Masters

Brooks Koepka expects to miss the next 10 weeks with a partial torn tendon in his left wrist, but the reigning U.S. Open champ is hopeful he can return in time to play the year’s first major in early April. Koepka announced via news release Friday afternoon that he has suffered a tear to his Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) tendon. Currently ranked eighth in the world and 29th in the FedExCup standings, Koepka will miss several PGA TOUR events, including two World Golf Championships. But if the projected 10-week time period holds, his return date would be March 30, which is the Friday before Masters week. “I am frustrated that I will now not be able to play my intended schedule,â€� Koepka said in the release. “But I am confident in my doctors and in the treatment they have prescribed, and I look forward to teeing it up at The Masters.â€� Koepka had been troubled by wrist soreness since late 2017 but played through the pain at the Hero World Challenge and Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua while trying to pinpoint the issue. After finishing a distant last in Maui, the 27-year-old remained baffled. “It feels like someone is jabbing a knife in my hand,â€� Koepka said at the time. In the release, Koepka said doctors could not tell exactly when the injury occurred. An initial MRI failed to find the problem, so he sought a second opinion — and that’s when the partial ECU tear was discovered. The initial diagnosis was 8-12 weeks of rest and therapy, with a full recovery expected. “I began to feel some discomfort in my left hand at the Hero but it wasn’t a huge concern at the time,â€� Koepka said. “Then, perhaps unwisely, I decided to play through pain at the Sentry before the partial tear was diagnosed.â€� He’s had to shelve planned starts at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and will also miss the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship (March 1-4) and likely the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play (March 21-25) in the 10-week span. Koepka’s last WGC start was at the HSBC Champions in late October, when he tied for second. Three weeks later, he won the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Tour and was ranked a career-best seventh in the world. “I greatly appreciate all the emails and texts I have received over the past couple of weeks,â€� Koepka said, “and I look forward to a quick and successful recovery.â€�

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