Not a few quarters were looking for a shoot-out heading into the deciding round of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka had all but obliterated TPC Southwind in their penultimate 18, carding 62 and 64, respectively, to set up a final pairing. It didn’t matter that 10 players posted scores within four strokes of the pace; as far as pundits were concerned, the focus remained with the multiple major winners, and not simply because they had momentum on their side. Parenthetically, the pride of Memphis, Tennessee, was set up as a birdie haven, allowing for low scores across the board and fueling anticipation for more red marks with the hardware on the line.
To be sure, Koepka did his part, hitting the ground running and claiming three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine. For all the knock on his inability to approach non-Grand Slam events with the same resolve, he certainly brought his A-game with him yesterday; he added two more birdies coming in for a flawless 65 and an aggregate 264, three strokes clear of his closest pursuer. Meanwhile, McIlroy couldn’t hold on to the lead; considering the easy conditions, pars on the first 11 holes not just proved inadequate for the purpose.
By the time McIlroy affixed his Hancock on the official chronicle of his efforts, the leaderboard showed him tumbling to a tie for fourth; armed with a grand opportunity to make up for his poor performance at the British Open, he instead put up a one-over 71 to close with a 269. And so disappointed was he that he refused to meet with members of the media for a post-mortem. Not so Koepka, who, with the title in hand, only too gladly paid the former compliments despite the evident letdown. “You kind of get glued watching him hit balls. I mean, it’s mesmerizing watching him hit. You know, it’s always nice to squeak out a victory over probably the best player right now.”
In truth, McIlroy isn’t the best player in the sport. Koepka is, and by far. He just went through the major rota with one trophy and as the first ever to finish in the Top Five of every stop. It’s likewise significant to note that TPC Southwind fits his eye as “a thinker’s golf course.” Little wonder, then, that he has brought home good marks every time he tees off in the course. They will, of course, meet again, but, unless and until the consistency he displays is equaled, he figures to get the better of the matchup far more often than not.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
