After the first round of the RBC Canadian Open, former US Open champion Brooks Koepka finished tied for the lead. He joined Sam Burns, Eric Cole, Sahith Theegala, Emiliano Grillo, and Matthew Anderson as first round leaders.
Koepka still searches for his first win since returning to the PGA Tour earlier this year. While his play has been great overall, there are still some flaws in his short game that hold him back.
Koepka is still an exceptional ball striking, ranking in the 87th percentile in driving and approach play. However, his short game still needs some massive improvements. His around the green game only ranks in the 55th percentile, which is about average. However, the putting really holds him back, only ranking in the 28th percentile.
Brooks Koepka’s First Round Canadian Open Hopefully a Sign of Change
Brooks Koepka had one of his best putting rounds of the season so far in the first round.
After Thursday’s round, Koepka posted one of his best putting rounds of the season, gaining +3.52 strokes on the greens. That ranked 5th in the field on the day. He only gained +1.01 strokes from tee to green, losing -0.96 strokes around the greens. He gained +1.92 strokes on approach, ranking 15th in the field.
Koepka’s best finish this season is a tie for ninth at the Cognizant Classic. He has five other top 20 finishes across the PGA Tour this year. The putter has not cooperated through four rounds though for him to have any meaningful opportunities at contention.
With that being said, there’s still plenty of golf left. Most sportsbooks list Koepka around +900 to +950 to win the Canadian Open, which is an implied probability of 9% to 10%. DataGolf gives him about a 5.7% chance of winning. Koepka ranks 63rd in the DataGolf rankings, showing how much he has fallen among the world’s elite golfers.
However, a win this week would give Koepka a ton of confidence heading into the US Open next week at Shinnecock Hills. Golf fans still fear Koepka’s name whenever he appears on a leaderboard due to his five wins at major championships.
Other Headliners at the RBC Canadian Open
Sam Burns continues his good form after missing out at last week’s Memorial Tournament.
Along with Koepka, Sam Burns also leads at the RBC Canadian Open. Burns looks to win his first tournament since the WGC-Match Play in 2023. He’s become one of the better putters in the world over the last few years, ranking in the 99th percentile in putting. However, Burns owns a complete game. He ranks in the 78th percentile in driving, 85th percentile on approach, and 63rd percentile around the greens.
With the US Open next week, Burns also seeks to avenge his final round collapse, leading to JJ Spaun capturing his first major championship. Burns ranks 11th overall in the DataGolf rankings and 29th overall in the Official World Golf Rankings. A win this week could propel Burns’ confidence at another major championship as he continues to catch up among the best American golfers.
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