The toughest test in golf? Confirmed. Well done, Brooks Koepka. The young American became the first golfer to win back-to-back U.S. Opens in almost 30 years with victory at Shinnecock Hills over the weekend. His story makes for interesting reading. Unlike many other top American collegiate golfers, Koepka headed over to Europe to compete on the Challenge Tour when he first turned professional in 2012. Three wins during the 2013 season gained him a full European Tour card for the 2014 circuit, which resulted in one victory and several top-10 finishes, earning Koepka the Rookie of the Year award. 2015 brought about his maiden PGA Tour triumph, a place on the USA Ryder Cup team came in 2016, which was followed by his two U.S. Open crowns in 2017 and 2018. But the new world number four was given a run for his money by Tommy Fleetwood’s flawless final round flourish. The Englishman was one of the early starters on Sunday and carded a record-equalling seven-under-par 63 to propel him up the leaderboard and set the clubhouse lead at two over. With the final groups still having nine holes left to play, Fleetwood’s score had every chance of at least forcing a playoff, but Koepka’s two-under 68 left him one ahead of Fleetwood in second place. Among all the stories of the weekend, none will gather momentum like Saturday’s silly scenes, which resulted in just three players shooting under-par all day. Firm, lightning quick greens combined with inaccessible pin positions and penal rough had the USGA apologising yet again. Conditions that no doubt contributed to Mickelson’s maddest moment (watch our video below), which left golf fans speechless across the world. But what did you make of Saturday’s conditions and the U.S. Open as a whole? A true test of golf or an absolute farce?
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