By: Christian Goeckel

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

A familiar presence was absent from the events of this year’s U.S. Open. A towering figure had left us late last year. For the first time in 64 years, Arnold Palmer would not be around for the American championship.

No doubt Palmer, in his prime, would’ve been ecstatic to take on the long, open course of Erin Hills. Palmer’s hulking physique and fierce ball striking perfect for the wide open holes.

Instead, the honor fell on the similarly large shoulders of Brooks Koepka. The Florida native, with ties to western Pennsylvania like Palmer, stoically took on the challenge of a course that was featured by the U.S. Open for the first time.

Bob Koepka, Brooks’ father, learned the game like a lot of amateurs do, watching others. While working at a course in Western Pennsylvania, the elder Koepka would observe members and eventually turn himself into a self made scratch player.

When his sons, Brooks and Chase, were just old enough to hold clubs, Bob passed his love and understanding of the game on.

Playing in the golf hotbed that is Florida, Brooks ascension was staggering. As just a sixth grader, Koepka earned his way onto the varsity high school team. After high school it was off to Florida State, where he still holds the career and season strokes average record at 71.85 and 71.09, respectively.

Brooks followed up his college success with appearances on the Challenge and European tours. In 2014, he made his first appearance on the PGA tour at the Frys.com Open and finished fourth at that year’s U.S. Open.

All of these years of preparation and journey would manifest their results on Father’s Day weekend 2017. As all eyes focused on the U.S. Open and it’s new home for this year, Erin, Wisconsin, nobody eyed the 27 year old from West Palm Beach.

The key to Erin Hills seemed simple: stay on the fairway. A practice, which in fairness, is easier said than done. The lack of trees and water hazards was more than balanced with the ever present, knee high fescue rough.

From the start, Koepka went right at the 7,800 yard behemoth of Erin Hills. (For reference: Augusta, which tried to “Tiger proof” itself by lengthening the course, sits at 7,435) With a staggering driving average of 322 yards (307 avg for the field) paired with a 88% on fairways hit, Koepka was always in control.

While others seesawed through the weekend, shooting well under par for rounds followed by performances that were left wanting, Koepka never shot above par. Favorites, like Dustin Johnson, fell to the wayside. Rickie Fowler, who led after day one, fell apart as he’s apt to do. Brooks stayed steady.

With a 5 under performance in the final round Brooks Koepka sealed his first major Championship and tied Rory McIlroy’s low score for a major at 16 under.

The kid who flew through the youth ranks, and journeyed through Europe’s tour, has given us a new superstar in the game that lost one almost a year ago.