Earlier this week Brooks Koepka released the not-so-shocking news that he underwent surgery on his right knee on March 16th.
The big question in the world of golf right now is: When will Brooks Koepka return?
Koepka suffered a dislocated right knee cap and sustained ligament damage but didn’t hint as to how severe said damage was. He’s now starting the rehabilitation process and rumors are swirling about the length of time he may be on the sidelines.
Former Tour player Brad Faxon, who helps a lot of players with their putting, was prowling the practice range and practice putting green at the Honda Classic last week and heard a variety of chit-chat about Koepka’s injury.
“I think this is a really tough question to answer. There was rumors around here, the Honda Classic was last week where I live, I was on the range with caddies and talking, and I have instructor friends, I think this injury is way more serious than Koepka’s letting on,” Faxon said during a radio interview.
“I’ve heard, you know, patella injury, post collateral ligament, PCL. I’ve dealt with multiple ACL injuries, and I’ve heard rumors he’s out for six to eight months,” he continued. “So I don’t think the Masters has a chance. I’m not saying I want that to happen for Brooks in any reason. We need him on the Tour. He’s a hell of a player, but I think he’s going to battle this one. PCL’s a tough injury to get over. Couple that with the other parts of the knee that got injured and we may not know the true story — but I know we’re pulling for him.”
Even if Koepka’s rehab takes 90 days, he’s pretty much a scratch as far as the majors go with The Masters in two weeks, the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July.
Given Koepka’s strength and athletic ability, the actual timeline for his return is anyone’s guess. What Koepka did say is: “I will listen to my body.”
If anything, Koepka will want to give this injury plenty of time — he’s got his best days ahead of him and needs to be sure he’s fully recovered.
Hole-In-One Helps Jaeger Shoot 66 At Corales Puntacana Resort Championship:
Unless you follow the Korn-Ferry Tour on a regular basis, Stephan Jaeger may not be a familiar name. Jaeger, who finished solo fourth at last week’s Louisiana Open, didn’t let breezy conditions bother him Thursday down in the Dominican Republic.
Jaeger, who scored an ace on the 239-yard second hole at the Corales course, his 11th hole of the round, finished with a nice six-under par 66 and held the first round lead at the Corales Puntacana Championship.
The former University of Tennessee-Chattanooga golfer, who has five Korn-Ferry wins, used that ace and three more birdies to shoot a five-under par 31 on the front nine, his second of the day.
He’s in the field along with other Korn-Ferry winners as well as a swarm of PGA Tour players who are struggling to make it into the top 125 this season.
Jaeger was a shot better than Joel Dahmen and Andrew Yun, who posted 67s. Sam Ryder, who was in contention last week at the Honda Classic, was one of a half-dozen players in at 68.
Max McGreevy Shoots 65, Leads At Club Car:
Former University of Oklahoma golfer Max McGreevy had a great weekend at the Louisiana Open last week with rounds of 66-63 to finish tied for 12th. He carried that momentum with him to The Landings at Savannah (Ga.) and opened with a seven-under par 65 at the Club Car Championship as the Korn-Ferry Tour is in action for a second straight week.
McGreevy, who has one win on the Korn-Ferry, was a shot in front of Curtis Thompson, brother and sometimes caddie for LPGA superstar Lexi Thompson and Stuart McDonald.
