Brooks Koepka Makes Big Jump with Impressive PGA Championship Win

There was rain, frost, thick rough, a Cinderella story with a hole-in-one and a bevy of the world's best golfers vying for the Wanamaker Trophy on a challenging golf course.

But in the end, it was Brooks Koepka holding the hardware as the daylight waned over Oak Hill.

The 33-year-old won the PGA Championship for his fifth major championship triumph. Koepka finished at 9 under for a two-stroke victory over Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland to become the 20th player with at least five majors. It's Koepka's third Wanamaker Trophy — only Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen and Tiger Woods have more — and his first major win in four years.

"It's crazy, I try not to think of it right now," Koepka said when asked how it feels to be in rarefied air. "I mean, I do care about it. It's just tough to really grasp the situation kind of while you're still in it, I think.

"I mean, probably when I'm retired and I can look back with Jena (Koepka's wife) and my son and kind of reflect on all that stuff, that will be truly special, but right now I'm trying to collect as many of these things as I can. We'll see how it goes."

Along with a T-2 at the Masters last month, Koepka, a three-time Ryder Cupper, moves up 20 spots on the Ryder Cup points list to No. 2 with his win.

Scheffler finished runner-up to Koepka at Oak Hill after a final-round 65, which matched the low round of the day. That extended his lead in the Ryder Cup standings by over 10,000 points while also leaping him over Jon Rahm to become the No. 1 player in the world again.

"I don't play for world ranking," Scheffler said Sunday. "I play to come out here and compete. Right now, I'm a little sad that I wasn't able to get the tournament done, but I'm proud of how I fought, I'm proud of how I played the back nine today to give myself a chance. I got beat by somebody that played better this week, and tip of the cap to Brooks."

One spot down the leaderboard was Kurt Kitayama, who also shot 65 on Sunday. The 30-year-old, who won his maiden Tour title in March at Bay Hill, moved up four spots to No. 8 in the U.S. standings after the top-5 finish at Oak Hill.

Patrick Cantlay, meanwhile, snuck into the top 10 with a final-round 66 and moved from 6th to 5th on the points list. Rookie Eric Cole, the 18-hole leader, placed T-15 and went from 34th to 29th in the standings.

Tied with Cole on the leaderboard was the man who stole the show — PGA Professional Michael Block.

The 46-year-old Californian found himself paired in the final round with Rory McIlroy. Then, with his magical week winding down, Block dunked an ace on the par-3 15th. But his heroics didn't end there, Block made a tough up and down to save par on his 72nd hole and secure a top-15 finish for a berth in next year's PGA at Valhalla.

"The most surreal moment I’ve ever had in my life," he said after posting the best finish by a PGA Coach at the PGA since Lonnie Nielsen in 1986. "I'm living a dream and making sure I’m enjoying the moment. Not getting any better than this — no way."

Block's week has him debuting on the Ryder Cup points list at 97th. And after earning exemptions into the Charles Schwab Challenge and RBC Canadian Open, Block can continue to climb in the standings if he keeps his Cinderella story alive.

With still two majors left this year, and a full slate of PGA Tour golf through the summer, maybe another magical run will propel someone into one of Team USA's 12 Ryder Cup roster spots.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

And though the makeup of the team is still forming, the goal for September isn't.

"I want to win the Ryder Cup," Scheffler said on Sunday at Oak Hill. "We want to beat those guys in Europe. It has been a long time (30 years). We want a team of guys that are going over there together to bring the Cup back home."

U.S. Team Captain Zach Johnson first announced the 2023 qualifying structure last year. Points in 2023 are awarded as follows:

- 1 point per $1,000 earned at regular PGA Tour events beginning January 1, including the Zurich Classic and WGC events, through the BMW Championship (August 20)

- 2 points per $1,000 earned for winner of the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open

- 1.5 points per $1,000 earned for all others that make the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open

- No points available at PGA Tour opposite-field events

Points qualification will conclude immediately after the second FedEx Cup Play-Off event (BMW Championship) on August 20, 2023, with the top six eligible players on the points list securing spots on the U.S. Team.

The six remaining slots on the U.S. Team will be Captain’s Selections and will be announced by Johnson following the 2023 Tour Championship.

For a full list of the Top 100 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, click here.