HONOLULU (AP) Brooks Koepka hasnt been the same since he tied for third in the FedEx Cup final in August, and hasnt felt entirely healthy since last March.
He wouldnt rate himself full strength now.
Koepka returns to competition this week in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, his first tournament since he reinjured his left knee in South Korea at the CJ Cup. He said Tuesday his left knee doesnt feel the same as my right.
It probably wont for a while, but it does feel stable, Koepka said. Leaving Korea and all the way up to about a month ago, it just didnt feel stable. It felt like it could either way. It could go left, out, back.
Koepka says hes had issues since March and just dealt with them. He still managed to win the PGA Championship for the second straight year and pick up his first World Golf Championship. During his short offseason, Koepka had stem cell treatment on his left knee because the patella tendon was partially torn.
Then, he was walking off a tee when he slipped on a wet piece of cement, went to brace himself from falling and reinjured the knee. He said his knee cap moved into the fat pad, which he described as excruciating.
He had physical therapy in San Diego for most of December and says he started hitting balls right before Christmas. Koepka said he wouldnt have flown to the United Arab Emirates if he didnt feel healthy, and that his speed and everything else about his game were the same as before he was hurt at the CJ Cup.
From that moment on, after a couple days of hitting balls and not feeling pain, it was like, OK, I could get back here and do this and finally play, he said.
A NAME FROM THE PAST
The first player of note from an emerging golf nation is not always the best one. As Li Haotong of China was making his debut at the Presidents Cup, Guan Tianlang was preparing to qualify for the PGA Tour Series-China.
Guan, who won the Asia-Pacific Amateur and then made the cut at the Masters and Zurich Classic when he was 14, made it through. Despite closing with a 79, he tied for 10th last week to earn full status for the season in China.
Guan is a sophomore at Arizona and is still an amateur.
I think I will turn pro soon, he said, adding there was a good chance he would play Chinas opening tournament. But I still need some time to think about everything. I might also balance school and play professional events.
Guan says he expected some highs and lows after his Masters performance. I think that Im trending in the right direction now, he said.
G-MAC STYLE
Graeme McDowell can add his name to the list of players who went searching for distance and lost sight of their game.
McDowell was enthusiastic at the Sony Open, and that was before he closed with rounds of 67-64 for the best weekend score at wet Waialae. It gave him a tie for fourth, his best finish since winning in the Dominican Republic last spring.
He attributes that to getting back to his normal flight with irons.
McDowell started working in August with Kevin Kirk, also the swing coach for Patrick Reed.
