NEW YORK, Aug 20 ― Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka withdrew from the US PGA Northern Trust on Wednesday with a lingering left hip and knee injury, ending his season and raising questions about his US Open status.
Seventh-ranked Koepka, a two-time US Open and PGA Championship winner, entered the week at 97th in the FedEx Cup playoff standings but needing to reach the top 70 to advance to next week's BMW Championship, which sends 30 players into next month's season-ending Tour Championship.
The nagging injury could prevent the 30-year-old American from playing in the US Open September 17-20 at Winged Foot near New York, the event moved from June due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shutting down his season early provides a month for Koepka to obtain rest and treatment ahead of the second major tournament of the year.
Koepka was bidding for a three-peat at the PGA Championship earlier this month in San Francisco but shared 29th after a closing-round 74 took him out of contention.
Last week, Koepka shot 72-70 and missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship, his sixth consecutive start.
Koepka had been 213th in season points when the campaign was halted by coronavirus in March, but finished second in defending his title at the WGC St. Jude Invitational the week before the PGA to crack the top 100 in Cup points. ― AFP
