Brooks Koepka delivered a strong final-round 65 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, marking his best performance since returning to the PGA Tour. The five-time major winner overcame an opening 74 with improved putting, gaining confidence after early struggles. His effort placed him inside the top 10 as the final groups reached the back nine.
Brooks Koepka, competing in his third event back on the PGA Tour after leaving for LIV Golf, showed signs of resurgence at the Cognizant Classic at PGA National. He started with a 3-over 74 on Thursday but rebounded strongly, posting a solid second round to make the cut and culminating with a 6-under 65 on Sunday, tied for the low round of the day.
The key improvement came on the greens, where Koepka made a crucial adjustment to his putting on Thursday night. "I played really solid the last three days," Koepka said. "Putter obviously has gotten better. Found some confidence. I think that's the one thing that's been lacking."
He birdied holes 3 and 4 early, then went 5 under over a six-hole stretch after the turn, finishing with the best Strokes Gained: Total performance of the day. Previously, poor putting had hampered him: he ranked 74th in Strokes Gained: Putting at the Farmers Insurance Open (T56 finish) and lost over three shots on the greens at the WM Phoenix Open, where he missed the cut.
"Because I wasn't making any putts, I felt like I had to hit it to tap-in range, so it was putting pressure on the iron play and maybe being more aggressive off the tee," Koepka explained. "But to be able to make a few of those putts, you can kind of build a rhythm and build momentum. It was a huge thing."
Koepka returned via the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program, which required a $5 million charitable contribution, ineligibility for player equity for five years, and earning spots in signature events. A portion, including $1 million to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, ties to this event.
Looking ahead, he skips the Arnold Palmer Invitational but heads to THE PLAYERS Championship in two weeks, his first since 2022. "Once the first week, doing all the media stuff and getting all that out of the way, it was a huge thing for me," he said, "and now it's just a matter of going to play and build a rhythm."