CW
Brooks Koepka hit the trees. Then he hit them.
The Golf Leaf Analyst asked how – three times.
In the final on Friday, Koepka pared the 428-yard, par 4 15-hole at Sentosa Golf Club during the first round of the LIV event in Singapore, though the way he made his four is noteworthy. The sequence showed relief due to tenting and “port-a-loos”, a drop of about “200 club lengths” from where his ball landed – and some skepticism.
To start, Koepka hit his tee straight and into a group of trees on the 13th all-around hole (he and partner playing Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia started on the third hole in the shotgun start format). Was there a bullet? maybe. (Photo above) Although in the trees, Koepka and Caddy Ricky Elliott thought they had a streak going to the green, but it was blocked by the tent and toilet setup from the nearby “fan village.” They argued to Relief of temporary immobile obstruction.
In that case, if granted, Koepka could drop to the right of the village—and possibly all the way in the adjacent 16th fairway, about 150 yards away. When the broadcast reached Koepka, this was actually where it was coming from. To an official, he pointed backwards at 16 with his right thumb.
The group was recited by analyst Dom Pollitt, analyst David Wehrte and grammar analyst Tony Zerpoli, and that’s what was said on the broadcast.
“I think it’s keeping out of TIO’s line of sight,” Boullet said.
“He’ll ask to know if he’s going to get TIO,” Zerpoli said.
“I’m not sure what he’s asking,” said Boule, who asked Elliott if he knew.
“He’s got line of sight,” Elliott said. “I think you can bring down both sides.”
Koepka worked for yardage. But there was more doubt.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything between him and the hole,” Ferity said.
Said Boule: “Well, there are toilets in there.[Ricky]just told me it’s the field of view. I think it might be Port-a-Luce.
“But I didn’t think that was an option, to be honest with you. I mean, he had to go through two trees to take that option.”
At this point, Koepka picked up his ball. He started walking until he was sixteen and worked his way through some tents. (Image above.)
There, before being shot, he spoke with administrator David Blake about where he would be away from the tents.
“And with home rule, he can get relief on both sides of TIO,” Zerpoli said. “Maybe it gives him a better chance. So he’s taking the smart way by taking that relief on the other side. And it’s also a long walk.”
“That’s for sure,” said Ferity. “It’s an extraordinary situation to have a gap like that. He’ll walk to this point, Tony, where he’s got a clear look?”
“Right,” said Zerbuli, “where he has…”
Said Boullet: “He’s going to fall in the middle of the 16th fairway.”
“He’ll have a clear view of TIO’s edge,” Zerpoli said. “He’ll then get a one club-length fairway, and then from that one club-length fairway, he’ll get one extra club length, which is his comfort zone. He’s got to drop in that relief.”
“Well, it’s about 200 club lengths from where it is,” said Farty.
After the conversation with Blake, Koepka fell to the left of the right side of the 16th lane. (photo above) But there is still doubt.
“Give us a yardage, Dom,” said Ferity.
Said Bouleh: I heard Ricky say 167; That’s what they measure because that’s where they wanted to rest – the same distance. Now I didn’t think it was a choice he had to go there – port au le tent or whatever it was. But David Blake, the referee, gave him the verdict and he has a big break here.”
Ferity said: Take it when you can get it. You get a lot of bad breaks. This is good. “
From there, Koepka hit the trees he once faced in front of him, and his ball fell 8 feet from the hole. Put two for four.
Said Wehrty after Kupka’s second shot: “This was worth the wait.”