Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth Go Globetrotting For Wins
- Dan Hauser
- 21 Nov, 2016
Just because things are starting to slow down stateside on the PGA Tour doesn’t mean golf isn’t heating up in other parts of the world. Top Americans Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka proved that this week, traveling to the other side of the globe for a couple historical wins.
In Australia, Spieth joined Jack Nicklaus as the only American golfers to win multiple Australian Open titles. Spieth used some clutch putting down the stretch to force a playoff with local Australian golfers Cameron Smith and Ashley Hall. Spieth then sunk a 10 footer on the first playoff hole for the win. The win was Jordan’s second Australian Open title with the first coming in 2014. The 2014 win spring boarded his historical 2015 season on the PGA Tour.
“The way we played the playoff, I think is going to do wonders for me,” Spieth said. “I’ve been in a little bit of stall hitting shots when they mattered … To hit those two shots in there, right where I wanted to hit them and then make the putt is really big going forward.”
Meanwhile, while Spieth was celebrating in the land “Down Under”, fellow young American Brooks Koepka was holding off the field at the Phoenix Dunlop in Japan.
Koepka is no stranger to winning around the world, having made his way to the PGA Tour via the European Challenge and European Tours. The 26 year old Jupiter resident already had wins in Spain, Italy, Scotland and Turkey before winning in Japan over the weekend. Koepka started the final round with a 5 shot cushion but had to birdie his final two holes to hold off a charging Yuta Ikeda who birdied 10 of his first 15 holes.
“To watch (Ikeda) fire 10 under was very impressive,” Koepka told reporters. “I just hung in there, and it was nice to finish with two birdies coming in.”
The win was Koepka’s seventh worldwide and his first since winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open last February. He also joins the likes of Tom Watson, Larry Mize, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, and Tiger Woods as winners of the Japan event.
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About Dan Hauser
As an avid golfer and sports enthusiast, Dan has had a passion for sports starting at a very young age. Dan’s other passion has always been writing. Since the time he could write, he has always enjoyed sharing information with people and telling stories through writing. In middle school he combined his two loves by joining the school newspaper in the sports department.
