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Koepka: 3-peat 'wasn't meant to be' after rough start Sunday

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Brooks Koepka entered play Sunday with an opportunity to win his third straight PGA Championship, but his game didn't match his confidence from the post-round interviews the night before.

After examining the leaderboard following his Saturday round, Koepka told reporters he felt good about his chances because leader Dustin Johnson had 'only won one' major title.

While that's correct, Koepka didn't look anything like a four-time major winner on Sunday, shooting the second-highest score of the day (74) after a brutal 39 on his opening nine.

"To make the turn at 4-over was disappointing, to say the least," Koepka said. "... You knew you had to be under par, at least one, to have a good chance on the back side. I mean, it's my first bad round in a while in a major."

Koepka struggling in a major was jarring to an audience that's grown accustomed to seeing him thrive during golf's biggest events. His plummet down the leaderboard ended in a tie for 29th - Koepka's first finish in a major outside the top five since the 2018 Open Championship.

"You know, hey, wasn't meant to be," the 30-year-old said. "Three in a row, you're not really supposed to do two in a row looking at history, but that's all right. Got two more the rest of the season and we'll figure it out from there."

Koepka won't be waiting long to get back on track, as the 2020 U.S. Open starts Sept. 17th at Winged Foot.

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