AVIDGOLFER

Koepka And McIlroy: A Tale Of Two Differing Games

Rick Arnett /

Koepka vs. McIlroy. Golf fans had to be at least mildly interested in the marquee final pairing matchup yesterday at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Classic. Yet, the hopeful high-octane match provided little fireworks (except Rory’s incredible drives) because his short game needs work.

Brooks Keopka continues to dominate with seemingly little emotion. See ball, hit ball. So refreshing. In fact the TV cameras could barely keep up to show Koepka make a live swing. The man is just money. Speaking of loot, Brooks pocketed $4.7 mil (when including the $2 mil Wyndham bonus for winning that little marketing side note). Oh, he earned the windfall without even playing this week’s event–a surefire blow to a Tour that keeps throwing money at the stars who already make so much it doesn’t raise an eyebrow or attract their appearance.

Meanwhile Rory shot the only player in the top-10 who failed to break par. GolfDigest’s Brian Wacker has the story of two games going in decidedly opposite directions.

“I know it’s what everybody wanted, and I think it would have been incredible if it would have been us going down 18 and somebody having to make a putt on the last,” Koepka said of the showdown with McIlroy. “That would have been incredible for the fans, for everybody that showed up.”

“It’s incredible,” Koepka said. “To look at what I’ve done this year, just show consistency, try to take my game I guess to a new level, and I’ve done that.”

It helped, too, that McIlroy, 30, continued an alarming pattern from recent years, at least when the pressure seems to be on.

At last week’s Open Championship at Portrush, an hour north of where he grew up and where he shot a course-record 61 as a 16-year-old, McIlroy shot an opening-round 79 that included a quadruple-bogey 8 on the first hole and went on to miss the cut by a stroke.

This week, the pressure was off—at least for the first three days—and McIlroy soared once more to the top of the leader board on the strength of a 62 in the third round.

Sunday, though, it all unraveled quickly.

On the par-5 third, Koepka drained a nine-footer for birdie, and McIlroy missed his birdie attempt from five feet, the ball never touching the hole.

“It should’ve gone the other way,” Koepka said. “I probably should’ve missed, and Rory probably should’ve made it.”

The normally available McIlroy did not speak to the media afterwards.

And, one more reason why Brooks is becoming my fav golfer.

Brooks Koepka Rory McIlroy WGC FedEX St. Jude Classic