By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

For the first time since Curtis Strange in 1989, Brooks Koepka has won the United States Open in consecutive years.

Koepka fired a final round 68 to beat Tommy Fleetwood by a stroke and World #1 Dustin Johnson by two strokes. Fleetwood who played earlier in the day on Sunday shot a record low round of 63.

Koepka with the win jumps to number 4 in the world rankings and looks like at age 28 he will be a force in American golf for at least the next decade.

Shinnecock Hills hosted another memorable US Open. Rounds 1 and 3 brought the best players in the world to their knees. Johnson was running away with the title after 36 holes but fired a 77 on Saturday to come back to the pack.

Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball and took a lot of criticism from the golfing media.

The USGA took a lot of heat from media and players regarding pin positions and baked out greens that made good approach shots into bad shots.

Shinnecock is a beast when the wind blows and after Koepka won at Erin Hills at 16 under in 2017 who did not see this coming? The US Open is regarded as the toughest test of golf in the world and the USGA likes the winning score to be around par.

Koepka has now won the toughest golf tournament in the world in back to back years.

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Koepka was raised in Lake Worth and attended Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. He played college golf at Florida State University, where was a three-time All-American.

Koepka started his professional career on the European tour, where he won three times before coming to the PGA tour.

Koepka now has a reputation for being able to win on the toughest courses in the world. The Open is being played at Carnoustie this year, which is also known as the toughest course in Scotland so expect Koepka to contend there as well.

Some players just are built to compete for major titles. Koepka at 28 has won two, has 5 top five, and 7 top ten finishes. He has made the cut in straight majors dating back to the 2013 PGA Championship.

When you can do that you build a reputation as being a closer and that was evident in the final round at Shinnecock when he stuffed a short iron to 4 feet and drained a birdie putt to pretty much seal the deal playing alongside Dustin Johnson.

Willie Anderson of Scotland is the only man to ever win three consecutive US Open titles in 1905. Koepa can become the only American to accomplish that with a win at Pebble Beach in 2019.

Life is pretty good for Brooks right now, back to back US Open champion, top 5 golfer in the world, and a beauty pageant winner as a girlfriend.

Look for Brooks Koepka to help lead the US Ryder cup team this fall to a much needed victory on European soil. Something that has not happened in 25 years.

The future of US golf is pretty bright currently.