Sports

Brooks Koepka wins his 3rd PGA Championship — Michael Block wows, Corey Conners fades

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2023

Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 21, 2023 in Rochester, N.Y. Photo by Michael Reaves /Getty Images

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka is king of New York once again.

After an out-of-character stumble at last month’s Masters Tournament, this generation’s most dependable closer vowed it would never happen again. On Sunday at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y., Koepka kept his word and won the PGA Championship for the third time, collecting his fifth major championship, third in the state of New York.

“I knew what I did in Augusta, I spent the whole night thinking about it,” Koepka said. “I knew what I did and I knew I was never going to come out and think that way again.”

After seeming to blame Augusta’s Sunday slip on playing too defensively, Koepka turned back the clock and showed his famous moxie, birdieing three of the first four holes at Oak Hill. The fast start saw Koepka pull away from playing partner Hovland and Canadian Corey Conners, who both started the day just one shot back.

“I don’t think (I would have) won today if that didn’t happen,” Koepka said of his Masters disappointment. “Definitely take it and keep using it going forward for each event, each major, any time I’m in contention, but I’m not going to share. I can’t give away all the secrets.”

Koepka made seven birdies on the day versus four bogeys and followed up back-to-back 66s with a three-under-par 67 in the final round to finish at nine-under, two strokes clear of Viktor Hovland (68) and Scottie Scheffler (65).

His aggressive strategy seemed to pair nicely with a more receptive golf course. After two days of fast and firm conditions, and one day of torrential rain, the sun was shining on Sunday, and the rough-laden, tree-lined brute of a course had let its guard down a little.

“Just be aggressive and just go make a bunch of birdies,” Koepka said of his plan. “I knew you’re going to make some mistakes today, but I made sure they were on the correct side of the hole.”

Publicly battling injuries, and privately battling a crisis of confidence, Koepka left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf last year. Feeling better at last month’s Masters, the 33-year-old admitted that had he been healthy and playing better, the decision to leave the PGA Tour would have been more difficult.

LIV supporters have been waiting for this day, and are no doubt gleefully celebrating what they surely see as a validation of their tour. Koepka did not speak to Greg Norman in the short time between his win and press conference, but agreed it was an important win for LIV Golf; even if, in the moment, he didn’t seem to care much.

“I’m more interested in my own self right now, to be honest with you,” Koepka said. “Yeah, it’s a huge thing for LIV, but at the same time I’m out here competing as an individual at the PGA Championship. I’m just happy to take this home for the third time.”

Earlier this year, Koepka revealed a much more vulnerable side of himself on the Netflix docu-series Full Swing. Battling a slow and painful recovery from knee and wrist injuries, the once-seemingly unflappable competitor with a reputation as golf’s Terminator admitted he didn’t think he could compete with the world’s best players week-in-and-week-out on the PGA Tour. The athletic bluster of his past suddenly appearing to be something of an act, he said in one episode that he, and every athlete, is one person on the field but another off it.

“It was a lot worse than I let on to you guys, let on to everybody,” he said. ” I know I seem like this big, bad, tough guy on the golf course that doesn’t smile, doesn’t do anything, but if you catch me off the golf course, I’ll let you know what’s going on.”

Adversity for Koepka certainly seemed new to many golf fans, but truth is, the golfer had a long and winding past before becoming the man we thought we knew. Koepka’s origin story is not that of a can’t-miss prodigy such as Rory McIlroy, who famously as a child would tell anyone who would listen that he would one day be the world’s best golfer.

Growing up, Koepka never won a Florida junior golf tour event, and was an unknown on the national junior circuit once he got there. It was more of the same as college approached and Brooks wasn’t heavily recruited. Koepka’s path to the PGA Tour went through the European Challenge Tour, where he was playing tournaments in Kenya and Kazakhstan while McIlroy — just one year older — was winning his second of four majors.

Now up and down the mountain and back again, Koepka sits tied for 15th in all-time major championship wins — one ahead of McIlroy — and joins a group of six players with five majors, including Seve Ballesteros, Byron Nelson, and Peter Thomson. Only Jack Nicklaus (5), Walter Hagen (5) and Tiger Woods (4) have won more PGA Championships.

“I try not to think of it right now,” Koepka said of his place among golf greats. “I mean, I do care about it. … But right now I’m trying to collect as many of these things as I can. We’ll see how it goes.”

After the dust had settled on Sunday, the gap between the three men at the top and Koepka’s next nearest chasers was significant. Bryson Dechambeau (70), Cam Davis (65), and Kurt Kitayama (65) finished tied for fourth at three-under, six shots back of the champion. McIlroy and Sepp Straka another shot further back at two-under. Just 11 men finished the week under par.

After three great days at Oak Hill, Corey Conners stumbled badly on Sunday, shooting a five-over 75 to fall into a tie for 12th at even par. Canada’s top golfer held the lead nearly all day Saturday, before making a double bogey after plugging his ball in the face of the bunker at the par-4 15th hole in his third round and making a double bogey, giving Koepka the lead.

A day later, and somewhat unbelievably, Hovland’s Sunday chase effectively ended on the same hole, with the same mistake, in the same sand trap.

“Just didn’t get out of the bunker,” Hovland said after his round. “Plugged in the lip and tried to get a drop and made a double bogey.”

For Conners, the PGA Championship was further proof that he has the game to win a major championship, but unfortunately also further evidence that the 31-year-old has to figure out how to play better when the lights are brightest.

“A challenging day, I was a little bit off,” Conners said after his round. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

If Koepka is the King of New York, Michael Block is the Ace of Oak Hill after the 46-year-old hoodie-wearing man-of-the-people turned an improbable week into an impossible one, making a hole-in-one at the 151-yard par-3 15th. Playing partner McIlroy had to tell him it went in after Block jarred his iron shot directly into the cup.

At day’s end, Block had followed three consecutive even-par 70s with a final round one-over 71. An amazing up-and-down at the final hole managed to keep him in a tie for 15th, earning the Southern California teaching pro a spot in the field at next year’s championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.

“I didn’t cry when I had my kids. I cried (today), for some reason,” Block said. “If you love golf, you know. … It’s everything to me. Obviously I love my family and everything else and my job and everything, but golf is my life.”

Rochester will always have Block’s magic week, and golf history now has five-time major champion Brooks Koepka.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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