US PGA Championship 2023: ‘Absolutely incredible’ – Brooks Koepka basks in fifth major triumph

The 33-year-old managed to hold off Scottie Scheffler, who has now returned as the world No. 1, and Norway’s Viktor Hovland on the final day at Oak Hill in New York state to clinch what is his first major since he underwent significant knee surgery.

In now having five major titles to his name, Koepka is level with golf legends Seve Ballesteros, Peter Thomson, Byron Nelson, John Henry Taylor and James Braid and he was blown away by what the achievement meant for him.

“This is incredible,” Koepka, who was repeatedly booed by fans for his switch to LIV Golf, said after his victory as he clutched the iconic Wanamaker Trophy.

“I look back at where we were two years ago. I am just so happy right now; this is just the coolest thing.

“I don’t know how many guys have won five times, but to be with those groups of names is absolutely incredible and I’ll be honest I’m not even sure I dreamed of it as a kid.

“To win a major is always a big deal no matter where you’re playing. All it does, I just think, is it validates it for myself. I guess maybe if anybody doubted it from Augusta [his final day slump at The Masters] or whatever, any doubts anybody on TV might have or whatever, I’m back, I’m here.

“Pardon my language, but it’s all the f***ing s*** I had to go through. No one knows. No one knows, I think, all the pain. There were a lot of times where I just couldn’t even bend my knee. Yeah, it felt good. It felt really good.”

Reflecting on whether his final-day woes at The Masters earlier in the year inspired him to put things right and see out victory on this occasion, Koepka was clear about what he learned from that defeat.

“I’ve always learned more from the four times I finished second than, I guess, the five times I’ve won now,” he admitted. “I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it.

“You realise what mistakes you’ve made. Each time I’ve kind of made an adjustment. It’s more mentality than it is anything. It’s not really the golf swing or anything like that.

“You’re going to play how you play, but mentally you can kind of figure things out, and I’m always trying to get better. Just trying to find that different little edge just to poke and try inside my head.

“Really, I think the big key is just being open and honest with yourself, and if you can do that, you’ll be miles ahead of everybody else.”