Putter change fuels Brooks Koepka’s best round of 2026 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

The honeymoon interval is in full impact for Brooks Koepka at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

Debuting a brand new putter at TPC Craig Ranch this week, Koepka put the lights out en path to an 8-under 63 that had him main after the early wave completed on Thursday morning.

Koepka was fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting, gaining greater than two strokes on the greens. It’s Koepka’s lowest rating this season.

“Finally, I felt good with the putter,” Koepka stated afterward.

It’s been a irritating, inconsistent yr on the greens, highlighted by a revolving door of putters. This new putter – a Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 – is the fourth totally different Koepka putter you’ve gotten used this season. His deficiencies on the greens have solely been amplified by the truth that his ball-striking has been outstanding. Yet he has not been in a position to capitalize on the energy as a result of the placing returned into such a difficulty. He ranks 141st in placing this season.

“I felt good the last few days with it when I was working in my studio,” Koepka stated. Then, after I received right here, it felt very comfy. Rick stated the identical factor from watching. Which additionally variety of helps construct a bit confidence, what you are feeling versus the fact of it. “Just happy with the way everything went today.”

That’s fairly a special tune from Koepka’s latest feedback and play. He has managed 5 prime 20s, however has been unable to really contend because the putter has struggled. I completed T55 at the PGA Championship final week.

Koepka detailed his in depth prep for this event in his Tuesday press convention. Much of the work got here in his “putting studio,” which he described as a bit warehouse in his dwelling. He dropped his son off at faculty on Monday, went into the placing studio to check a number of totally different choices, and did not come out till he needed to choose his son up.

That work paid off on Thursday. Koepka holed a 17-foot birdie on his second gap of the round, the eleventh, then totally jump-started his day with a 13-foot eagle putt on the twelfth. He holed 4 putts exterior 10 toes and was dialed in together with his tempo. He navigated the 18 holes in 25 putts. Koepka made six birdies and an eagle and saved bogeys off the cardboard. His highest stress second got here at the ninth, his final gap of the day, compelled to get up-and-down for par. Koepka spun his pitch shot to three toes and transformed the putt.

“It just kind of saved the round,” Koepka stated. “Bogey-free is always a big confidence booster.”

Time will inform if the boldness stays and the putter sticks within the bag. It’s not unusual for golfers to start out scorching with a brand new membership, solely to fade when the preliminary honeymoon interval wears off.

Koepka started the yr together with his conventional Scotty Cameron blade putter. He switched to a TaylorMade mallet mannequin for the WM Phoenix Open after his first week again on TOUR. That remained within the bag till the PGA Championship final week, after I switched into a special model of the TaylorMade mallet. That experiment lasted only a week. The Scotty Cameron mallet he performed on Thursday is just like a earlier putter he used final fall.

Those acquainted feels had been welcome throughout Thursday’s first round.