Sidelined with a wrist injury for over three months, reigning U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka will make his return to action at next week’s Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana.
“It feels like I’ve been out for six months,” Koepka said in a report by the Associated Press.
“I still have confidence. I feel like I can win next week.”
Koepka was coming off his best season as a Tour pro, highlighted by a win at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, along with top-20 finishes in the other three majors. He capped off his breakthrough year with a successful defense of the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, which moved the 27-year old to No. 7 in the world.
But in his next start at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Koepka felt pain in his wrist during practice, and proceeded to finish last in a field of 18. Three weeks of rest did little to heal the injury, and after four rounds of 78-74-78-75 at the season-opening Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, Koepka packed it in.
“It was torn a lot worse than they originally thought,” he continued.
“The ligaments that hold the tendon in place were gone. Every time I went to the doctor, it seemed like it got worse and worse.”
In New Orleans, Koepka will team with 40-year old Marc Turnesa, who is a one-time Tour winner (Shriners 2008), but currently has no playing privileges, after losing his Web.com Tour status last season. He holds a world ranking of No. 1905.
