Brooks Koepka: By the numbers

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During a practice round ahead of this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, PGA TOUR Champions pro Jim Furyk was addressed by playing partner Brent Grant with the deferential ‘sir’ formality. Grant, 25, then asked Furyk, 51, what he liked most about his early career on the 50-and-older circuit. “No one calls me ‘sir,’” Furyk replied. Grant was born in March 1996, a month after Furyk’s first Sony Open victory, carding 11-under total and besting Brad Faxon in a playoff for his second PGA TOUR title. Furyk, now a 17-time TOUR winner in addition to three PGA TOUR Champions victories, has intentions of adding a second Sony Open title to his collection. The Pennsylvania native, inspired by his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers’ late-season push to a playoff berth, carded an opening-round, 8-under 62 at Waialae CC – including a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th hole. Furyk becomes the oldest player to shoot 62 or better on TOUR since 1983, doing so with a torrid 5-under stretch on his final five holes – including a par at the par-5 18th. Playing on a sponsor’s exemption as the first leg of an Aloha Double – en route to next week’s PGA TOUR Champions season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai – Furyk proved early that he’s looking to do more than solely fill a spot in the field. “I love (the) Sony (Open) … it’s a place I’ve had a lot of success,” said Furyk after signing for his eighth round of 62 or better on TOUR. “I’m not hitting the ball far enough to compete out here on a regular basis on a lot of the golf courses, but Waialae is a place I still feel I can get around and shoot under par pretty well, and so it’s fun. “Places I’ve won, Valspar, Heritage, those are courses I can still compete on. Once in a while, I’ll dip out here, but I’ll predominantly play on PGA TOUR Champions.” When he does dip back out onto the PGA TOUR though, Furyk strategically picks his spots to maximize his opportunity to make an impact. Venerable Waialae CC appears the perfect venue – Furyk has recorded 10 top-25s in 17 Sony Open appearances, including his 1996 victory and a 1997 runner-up. The Sony Open demands a precision game. Tree-lined, par-70 Waialae CC plays to just 7,044 yards and requires players to shape the ball both ways, preferring precision to power. Three decades into his professional career, Furyk’s game fits that bill. Averaging 271.9 yards off the tee, Furyk rebounded from an opening bogey to record seven birdies and an eagle, including his sixth career TOUR ace at the 187-yard, par-3 17th. “I thought I was in-between clubs, but (caddie) Fluff assured me it was a 6-iron for me,” Furyk recollected of his decision-making process on No. 17 tee. “It was the right club and I had it teed up a little bit, trying to get the ball in the air and hit down on it. Caught it just a smidge high in the face. “And so I loved the line it was on, but I wasn’t quite sure I caught enough of it to cover it. And carried on the green probably two or three yards and landed in a perfect spot and then released towards the pin. I guess that’s kind of the line I was looking.” Yes, sir!

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Cameron Young didn’t win The 150th Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews on Sunday, but he still accomplished a lot. By carding a final-round 65, including a 17-foot eagle putt at the last to reach 19 under par – solo second, one short of playing partner Cameron Smith (64) – Young took a step toward potentially winning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors. The Wake Forest product may also have inched closer to making the U.S. Presidents Cup Team, which will play the International Team at Quail Hollow Club this fall. “I think I gave myself a really nice chance (to win),” said Young, 25, who three-putted the first hole for bogey but mostly dazzled with seven birdies and an eagle. “Frustrating to come up short, but, overall, I think I had a really good week, and I think I hung in there really well today.” Other than his rough start, his only other misstep was a drive into an unplayable lie at the ninth, leading to another bogey. Otherwise, Young showed no rookie nerves. He was vying to become the 11th player, and second straight after Collin Morikawa last year, to win in his Open debut. Although fellow Wake Forest alumnus Will Zalatoris has gotten more publicity for his clutch play in the majors, Young may be developing that reputation, too. He tied for third at the PGA Championship in May and has been flirting with his first TOUR win all season. He finished T2 at the Wells Fargo Championship, T3 at the RBC Heritage, T2 at The Genesis Invitational, and T2 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He knew he needed something special for the fourth round of The Open. And he produced it. Alas, so did Smith, who made eight birdies and no bogeys. “It probably hurts a little worse to come up one shot short,” said Young, who is projected to move from 18th to 13th in the FedExCup standings, tops amongst the rookies with three tournaments remaining in the regular season. “If you lose by eight you don’t really care. But, yeah, I played well today.” He knew that even an eagle at the last might not be enough, what with Smith on a roll. “I would have signed up for 65 this morning,” he said. “And to watch Cameron shoot what he did, it was pretty amazing. I think I handled it pretty well. Not as much as some of those other guys, but I’ve at least been around the lead a lot this year. On the PGA TOUR. In a major. So it’s not the first time I’ve been in that situation. “And the more I put myself there,” he continued, “I think I said at the PGA (Championship), one of these times I’ll shoot 5 under on the back and that will be enough. And today I did. And it wasn’t. So I guess one of these times I’ll shoot 6 (under) on the back on Sunday and that will be enough.”

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