AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – Brooks Koepka will take a long break. A month and a half might be about right. Koepka, who missed the cut at the Masters after trying to play less than a month removed from knee surgery, said Friday that he might not try to compete again until the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island starts May 20. “But tough to tell if I’ll play anything before that, just for how it feels, how rehab goes, and everything. I won’t miss it; I know that,” Koepka said. Koepka said that if this week hadn’t been the Masters, there was no way he would have tried to play again so quickly after surgery.
He’s a four-time major winner, including the PGA in 2018 and 2019.
“I’ll take a nice long break after this,” Koepka said. “Way I look at it, I have two more days to do rehab that I probably wouldn’t get if I were out here, and I’ll get ready for the PGA.”
One player who won’t be taking a break after missing the Masters cut: World No. 1 Dustin Johnson. He’s going right back to work at Hilton Head next week.
SPANISH FLAVOR
time since 2014. The slick greens were a perfect set-up for Olazábal; who knows? He can’t match the young guys with the length of his shots. He made up for that shortfall with his knowledge of the course and his touch on the greens.
“It’s lovely to see Augusta play like we have the last two days — fast and firm,” Olazábal said. “It reminds me a lot of the late ’80s and ‘90s.”
Those were the glory days for Olazábal, who won his first green jacket in 1994, added another title in 1999, and was a top-10 finisher five other times.
But he hasn’t contended since a tie for third in 2006. In his last 12 appearances, Olazábal missed the cut nine times and didn’t finish higher than 34th the other years.
A massive par saves at the 17th, where he knocked in a 40-footer from the fringe after a poor chip, gave him hope of a better finish this year.
“Nice one,” said playing partner Matt Wallace as they walked toward the 18th tee.
“Unexpected,” Olazábal replied.
He could’ve been speaking for the entire day. And coincidentally, Olazábal’s good day at Augusta just happened to fall on what would have been his close friend and fellow Spanish golf icon Seve Ballesteros’ 64th birthday.
AMATEUR UPDATE
No amateurs are playing the weekend at the Masters.
Ollie Osborne was the low amateur, his 8-over 152, beating Joe Long (154) and Tyler Strafaci (161).
“One of the main things I learned is not everybody’s perfect,” Osborne said. “I played with the world’s best, and you don’t have to do everything perfectly. You just go about your game and do your thing. These guys are excellent, but I’m not that far off.
It’s the first time since 2015 that no amateur has cut. But there were plenty of memories – such as staying in the Crow’s Nest atop the Augusta National clubhouse and playing 36 holes in arguably the most storied tournament in the world.
“Some advice from the world’s best golfers that kind of sticks with me,” Long said. “The amateur dinner, like that experience, is just so special. The Crow’s Nest, all those things, they’re life memories. You can tell your family about it, and that’s pretty amazing.”
