Brooks Koepka: By the numbers

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Brooks Koepka is bashing drives and smashing the record book at the PGA Championship. He holds a seven-shot lead after shooting 63-65 in the first two rounds at Bethpage Black. It’s the lowest 36-hole score in major history and gives him the largest 36-hole lead in a major since World War II. Here’s some more notes and numbers to help put his incredible play in perspective.

First, let’s look at the traditional statistics:

Fairways hit: 19 of 28 (T24)
Driving distance: 302.1 (T30)
Greens hit: 29 of 36 (4th)
Proximity to the hole: 25’, 8” (2nd)

And now, the Strokes Gained statistics:

Tee-to-Green: +12.86 (1st)
Off-the-Tee: +3.35 (4th)
Approach: +8.69 (1st)
Around-the-Green: +0.81 (50th)
Putting: +3.85 (12th)
Total: +16.71 (1st)

These notes should help put Koepka’s performance in perspective:

• His 36-hole score of 128 is the lowest 36-hole score ever shot in a major championship. The previous record was 130.
• He now holds the PGA Championship’s 18-, 36- and 72-hole scoring records. He needs a 67 on Saturday to set the tournament’s 54-hole mark. Koepka set the 18- and 36-hole records this week. He established the 72-hole mark in last year’s victory at Bellerive. David Toms set the tournament’s 54-hole mark (196) in 2001.
• Koepka’s seven-shot lead is the largest in a major since World War II. The largest 36-hole lead in PGA Championship history was five strokes by Nick Price in 1994.
• His 65 on Friday was the lowest second-round score from a player who opened a major with 63. The previous record was 69.

This continues his incredible recent play in majors, as well:

• The PGA Championship would be Koepka’s fourth victory in his last eight majors.
• He has held at least a share of the lead after eight of the past 18 rounds in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
• He’s held at least a share of the lead after 11 of his last 33 rounds in majors.
• He didn’t record his first bogey until his 28th hole this week. That ended a streak of 41 bogey-free holes in the PGA Championship and 51 holes without a bogey on the PGA TOUR.
• This is his 11th consecutive under-par round in a major and seventh consecutive round in the 60s at the PGA Championship.