Why the Houston Open is perfect for Brooks Koepka's final Masters prep
The one thing Brooks Koepka is hoping to do this week in Houston to finish off his preparation for Augusta National.
With two weeks until Augusta, Brooks Koepka has one item left on his prep list. For how much was made about his return from LIV Golf, Koepka has quietly put together a string of solid starts over the past month, including a T-13 at the Players and T-18 last weekend at the Valspar Championship, and enters this week’s Houston Open leading the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach. More importantly, Koepka—a longtime blade user—made the switch to a mallet putter in hopes of fixing a shaky short game, and the change has produced immediate dividends.
“I feel like it's been so different because I was putting so terribly,” Koepka said Wednesday at the Houston Open. “I felt like I had to birdie the hole almost from the fairway or from the tee box, where now I can sit back and kind of play golf how I used to play in '17, '19, kind of in that run when I was playing very good where I can be very patient and just kind of wait my time. I know I'm going to have five good chances on whatever hole it might be and then just take advantage from there.
” Given that stretch produced some of the best major championship golf of this century, that's not a comment his competitors want to hear. But Koepka isn't looking past Houston. Before he can think seriously about a green jacket, he says he needs to feel the heat on a Sunday.
"I really haven't put myself in contention with nine holes to go. That's really the last missing piece that I feel like I need to accomplish here before Augusta," he said. "But the game feels good.