McDowell returns to the winner’s circle

THE OVERVIEW By Cameron Morfit, PGATOUR.COM Henrik Stenson is sneaky, whether he has a joy buzzer or a golf club in his hands. The moment you begin to forget about him, he wins. Last year’s example, at the end of an otherwise ho-hum season, saw the 2009 PLAYERS champ birdie four of his last six holes for a one-shot victory at the Wyndham Championship, the last full-field event before the FedExCup Playoffs. Stenson’s 29 birdies not only led the field, they put him six clear of the competition. He broke the tournament scoring record and became the PGA TOUR’s winningest male player from Sweden, surpassing Jesper Parnevik and Carl Pettersson. TOP 30 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2018: We’ll countdown our list with one new player each day in December. Click here for the published players. MORE: Top 30 explanation and schedule The year before that, of course, Stenson authored the first major win of his career, with a final-round 63 at the Open Championship. His Sunday duel with hard-luck runner-up Phil Mickelson won’t soon be forgotten. At 41, Stenson continues to be the consummate global player. He also won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in ’16, and last season racked up just 15 starts on the PGA TOUR. Still, he can win anywhere, anytime. He’d had zero success at Sedgefield Country Club before winning the Wyndham, and like everyone else he had never played in Rio before capturing the silver medal in the 2016 Olympics. You say he’s never registered even a top-10 finish at the Masters, his best a T14 in 2014? You say he hasn’t distinguished himself at Shinnecock Hills or Carnoustie, which will host the U.S. Open and Open Championship, respectively, in 2018? None of that matters. When he’s on, he can win anywhere, anytime. BY THE NUMBERS How Henrik Stenson ranked in Strokes Gained statistics during his last full season on the PGA TOUR. FEDEXCUP Current 2017-18 position: 25th Playoff appearances: 7 TOUR Championship appearances: 2 Best result: Stenson won the 2013 FedExCup title INSIGHTS FROM THE INSIDERS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Henrik Stenson in 2018. TOUR INSIDER by Ben Everill You can never sleep on this Swede. Opened last year with two top 10s in his first three TOUR starts, promptly missed five out of six cuts and then had five consecutive top 20s, including a win at the Wyndham Championship. Love the way he sends that 3-wood way out there with such accuracy and backs it up with a stellar approach game. We may not see him as often as others, but he’s always top value. Click here to follow Ben on Twitter FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton Even if he could remain healthy, it wouldn’t change our approach. A rib injury thwarted starts in the last two stops on the European Tour this fall, and he’s still walking around with a torn meniscus in his right knee, but the Swede maintains a light schedule abroad, so he’s best reserved as a complement in draft leagues. Weekly gamers shouldn’t hesitate, however, even as his 42nd birthday looms on the Thursday of the 2018 Masters. Click here to follow Rob on Twitter EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall Callaway’s GBB Epic driver was one of the few new additions to Stenson’s bag this year. The rest of his setup remained the same over the last 12 months. Endo Forged Legacy Black irons are notable as they are only available in Asia.  Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Stenson remains one of the best examples of how golf apparel should fit. Everything from the length of his sleeves to the length of his pants is dialed in to perfection. Expect Stenson to push the latest fashion trends with bold geometric prints and stylish color palettes for the season. Click here to follow Greg on Twitter

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No detail is overlooked. Sometimes he doesn’t even watch the ball, instead just listening. Most times, he can explain the details before the computer has a chance. This is testing with Tiger.

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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka has the game to win a U.S. Open on any course. One year after Koepka overpowered the wide fairways of Erin Hills in a U.S. Open remembered for low scoring, he navigated his way through the brutal conditions of Shinnecock Hills and closed with a 2-under 68 to become the first repeat champion in 29 years. Curtis Strange, the last player to go back-to-back in this major, watched the entire final round Sunday as the Fox Sports reporter on the ground, and they shared a brief hug off the 18th green after Koepka tapped in for bogey and a one-shot victory. He captured his second major on Sunday. It would not have been possible without his 72 on Saturday in conditions so severe the last 45 players to tee off in the third round didn’t break par. The USGA conceded the course was over the top and pledged to get it right for the final round. No one took advantage like Tommy Fleetwood, who made eight birdies — none of the two par 5s — and became the sixth player to shoot 63 in the U.S. Open. That got him within one shot of Koepka, who still had 11 holes to play. But he never caught him and had to settle for the silver medal. Koepka, with a performance and a demeanor reminiscent of Retief Goosen winning at Shinnecock Hills in 2004, began the back nine with three pivotal putts — one for birdie, one for bogey, one for par. He seized control with a wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the par-5 16th for a two-shot lead, and he never flinched until it no longer mattered. Koepka pulled his approach to the 18th off the grandstand, pitched on to about 12 feet and two-putted for a bogey. He finished at 1-over 281, 13 shots higher than his winning score at Erin Hills last year. It was the first time since 2013 at Merion that no one broke par in the U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson, part of the four-way tie for the lead to start the final round, couldn’t keep up with one of his best friends. Johnson was one shot behind at the turn until three-putting three times on the back nine. A birdie on the final hole gave him an even-par 70 to finish alone in third. Masters champion Patrick Reed, who briefly shared the lead with five birdies through seven holes, stumbled on the back and had to settle for a 68 to finish fourth.

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