Brooks Koepka, who won the US Open last time out at Shinnecock, is dealing with an injury that threatens to derail his bid to repeat his 2018 career this week at the prestigious windswept course on Eastern Long Island.
According to a report by Golfweek, Koepka – who withdrew in the final round of the Canadian Open on Sunday – spent Monday in Manhattan undergoing tests on the C5 and C6 vertebrae in his neck.
In 2021, he did the C6 and C7 vertebrae.
Koepka said he developed weakness in the pinky and ring fingers of his left hand after his second round in Canada on Friday night, and it flared up again when he warmed up on Saturday, making it difficult to grip the golf club.
Koepka, a five-time major and two-time US Open winner, was not at Shinnecock Hills on Monday but told Golfweek he plans to be there on Tuesday, although it is not known if he will be able to play.
Koepka has no plans to retire, however, adding, “I’m going this week.”
Wyndham Clark is back at the US Open, seeking “release” after a disappointing performance at Oakmont last year that ended with him missing a cut and damaging a locker in the clubhouse.
It was an episode that Clark still regrets almost a year later.
“That was a really challenging time and something I regret a lot and feel very bad about doing that,” Clark said. “But there were a lot of good lessons in that that taught me a lot. I’ve come a long way, and I’m excited about this year’s Open to redeem myself and move forward and enjoy the challenges of Shinnecock and how great this place is and how amazing this tournament is.”
This incident was not discussed when he was available to the media on Monday.
Clark has been banned by Oakmont for the outburst, but the club will consider lifting the ban if he pays damages, makes a charitable donation and takes anger management courses.
Clark arrived at Shinnecock three years removed from his first US Open title back in 2023, when he defeated Rory McIlroy by one stroke at the Los Angeles Country Club.
He did not play a practice round on Monday but said he did earlier this week with a friend who is a member.
“I personally love this place because I grew up in Cherry Hills, and that’s William Flynn’s course,” Clark said. “So is Shinnecock. There’s even a little bit of a connection that way. Even before I came here, I was already excited to play it because of that connection.”
Jackson Koivun’s appearance at this year’s US Open will mark his final tournament as a junior.
The Auburn junior, one of the game’s most decorated golfers, announced last week that he will forgo his senior season and join the PGA Tour starting in July.
Koivun, a novice golfer ranked No. 1, he could have been a champion after his first year, but he just felt he wasn’t in the right place to make that jump.
“I think my golf game was there,” he explained. “I just think I wasn’t ready to leave college, and mentally I wasn’t ready for the hardships that would come with the travel and everything like that. But it took another year to wrap my mind around what was best for me, and now I’m really ready.”
The San Jose native helped Auburn win two national championships and won the Ben Hogan Award twice.
His 11 college wins put him in the same spot as Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods – all of whom achieved double-digit wins during their college careers.
