Brooks Takes A Casual Stroll And Rory Leads The “Big Name” Board

The golf-loving folks of Toronto showed up in masse Thursday on a sunny Canadian afternoon that was perfect for scoring at the venerable Hamilton Golf and Country Club, southwest of Toronto and west of Niagara Falls.

They’ve been playing golf at Hamilton since 1904 and they’ve played a bunch Canadian Opens — this is the 110th.

There were huge crowds for a Thursday, huge crowds considering there was no guy named Tiger on the grounds.

But they poured out to see Number One and that would be the What-Me-Worry Kid — Brooks Koepka — PGA Champion and defending champion next week at the U.S. Open.

Earlier in the week, Brooks said nothing that would inspire such a large turnout.  He was casual, very casual as he showed up for the first time since his dramatic win at Bethpage Black.

“I could care less what happens,” Koepka said of his appearance in Canada.  “I just want to feel good going into next week. As long as I can leave feeling confident, striking the ball very well, starting it where I want to, finishing where I want to, hitting some good putts — it doesn’t matter if they do go in or not. I just want to feel confident leaving.”

Pretty inspiring, yes?  No.

“The result doesn’t really matter this week,” Koepka continued. “It’s just how I feel I’ve played. Am I hitting enough good shots and really finding a rhythm?”

Koepka and his muscular frame showed up for his afternoon tee time, wearing his usual poker face.

Things were pretty uneventful.  Those golf-hungry fans wanted to see birdies and Brooks delivered a whopping pair of sub-par holes and they both came on the front nine.  At the 10th, Koepka hit a drive that soared way off line and found the right crap, now known as the “penalty area.”  He took one and made bogey then treated everyone to eight straight pars coming home, missing a variety of what looked like very makeable birdie putts.

“I actually thought I played good,” was Koepka’s post-round analysis.  “I had one foul ball at 10.  My iron play was really good.  I gave myself a lot of looks.  I made, what, two birdies?  It could have been five or six.”

Koepka struggled on the Poa Annua greens, same grass he’ll see next week at Pebble Beach.  He used his putter 34 times and that told the tale of his 70, that and the fact that he found just eight of 14 fairways.  He did hit 16 of the 18 greens, which supports his good iron play observation.  That 70 left him in a tie for 82nd.

It was still good enough to tie him for second on the “Big Name” leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy was the leader in the clubhouse on that board.  Typical Rory round, long drives, missed opportunities.  McIlroy got off to a great start with birdies at three and four then he drove the 336-yard par four fifth.  He then proceeded to three-putt from 59 feet for par.  His 67 for the day, of course, could have been so much better.

“It was the worst I could have shot,” Rory testified.  I hit it a lot better than I did at The Memorial.  I went to a four-wedge setup and will do the same next week at Pebble.”

Rory rated his overall day “satisfactory.”

Justin Thomas rebounded from that 80 last Friday at Muirfield Village and tied Koepka, playing in the same group with Brooks.

High man?  That would be world’s Number Two, Dustin Johnson, the defending champion.  D.J. fell on his face out of the starting blocks with five, count ’em five, front nine bogeys.  It took a pretty good effort of bring that back and post just one-over by day’s end.

Koepka, Thomas and D.J. will have to score a lot better on Friday.  They’ll start on the wrong side of the projected cutline.  Brooks and J.T. are seven back of leader Keegan Bradley, D.J. is eight back.

You think Koepka is worried?

Absolutely not.

Canadian Open Scoreboard: