Tough to imagine that Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are flying under the radar out there on the PGA Tour.
But that seems to be the case as both get back in action this week at the Houston Open.
Dustin Johnson is back after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus and as for Brooks, well, that knee of his is a topic of major conversation and speculation.
With talk already turning to next week’s November Masters, most of the chatter surrounds Bryson DeChambeau despite the fact that D.J. is the reigning Player Of The Year.
Johnson won the Northern Trust, finished second in the BMW and won the Tour Championship with that 10-shot advantage. Last time we saw D.J., he finished sixth at the U.S. Open. He led the PGA through 54-holes.
But Johnson has been out for a couple of weeks after that positive test. No telling what his physical state might be but at least he’ll have a tune-up before he heads to Augusta. Most of the top 10 are choosing to prepare at their home venues — only 10th-ranked Tyrrell Hatton is playing, making just two of the world’s top 10 showing up at big-time renovated Memorial Park.
Koepka might have made it three top 10 guys but with all the time off for knee rehabilitation, Brooks has tumbled to 12th in the world rankings. He’s listed at 20/1 odds to win.
The eyes of Texas will be on both of those players. Johnson’s play will be a good gauge to see if he might contend next week at the year’s final major. As for Koepka, he looked to be on his way to winning a Green Jacket in 2019 until he dunked his tee shot at the famous par three 12th into Rae’s Creek, setting the table for Tiger Woods to collect another major and his 82nd Tour victory.
Koepka finished tied for 29th at the PGA but then his bum knee kept him out of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. He made his return at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and finished in an unimpressive tie for 28th in the limited-field event.
It’s tough to tell if this week can be any sort of indicator as to who might carry momentum into Augusta National. The Golf Club of Houston, well outside the city, used to cut its greens down in an attempt to mimic the speed of the putting surfaces at Augusta National. With Memorial Park being a municipal golf course, it’s safe to say there’s no way the greens have any resemblance to the treacherous slopes on many of the greens at Augusta National.
After last week’s “junior varsity” event in Bermuda, at least there are some big name players showing up this week with D.J. and Brooks the guys to watch.
Phil Mickelson will show up after first expressing concern over the PGA Tour allowing spectators to show up for the first time since The Players last march. It will be limited though, to 2,500 so maybe Mickelson got over his phobia.
D.J. will play his first two rounds alongside Hatton and Adam Scott while Koepka will go out with defending champion Lanto Griffin and Jordan Spieth.
3 Comments
baxter cepeda
It’s funny people think old munis have easy greens. It’s often the opposite because there is not army of rich embers to demand softening areas.
From what I heard the greens are firm and fast and have a lot of slope, although some slope has been softened, but likely not as much as Pebble, Sherwood, and many other rich man courses courses whom keep making the surfaces easier and easier; which is nonsense.mist designers build their courses so over time the green surrounding get trickier and trickier. But that is often sadly eliminated with the redesigns.
Shame imo.
The Brooks vs DJ thing is pretty easy right now. I’m not saying BK can’t beat DJ but Any bettor would have to stick with the well rested Covid survivor. No?
Tom Edrington
Bax: My favorite public course, once upon a time was the North Palm Beach Golf Club….LOTS of older “members” totally public, easy to play, you could get around in less than four hours, in season they’d have two shotgun starts on busiest days (winter); THEN, they let Nicklaus re-design it — Jack basically made it unplayable for the older guys — deep, deep bunkers, dinosaurs buried under greens and all that stuff, then they did an $18 million renovation on club house; They won’t get a dime’s return on all that money spent. You can’t make greens difficult on municipal courses as it creates slow play….on a side note, interesting how two years ago Koepka was looking totally like Superman…..now, who knows what he’ll be.
baxter cepeda
I don’t know about greens slowing down recreational play.
Fast tough greens slow elite play but most recreational guys 3 and 4 jack tough greens faster than most pros 1 putt them.
But I agree about bunkers slow recreational play, which is why so many courses have eliminated bunkers, especially fairway bunkers. Especially considering bunkers are less of a challenge for good players than rough.
Bunkers are needed but if Augusta has taught us anything, less is more, especially with bunkers.
This brooks course in Houston cut their bunkers To Just a couple dozen i heard yesterday. But again, the greens will be tough supposedly.
And this muni is almost 7500 yards with tough Bermuda rough. Of course the regulars shouldn’t play it that way but it’s awesome a municipal can be stretched for the best in the world.
Brooks needs to get fully healthy. He is wasting time. Like tiger has often in his career brooks is saying all the right things about his health. But like tiger we just Don’t know.