BROOKS KOEPKA held off a charging Tiger Woods and Adam Scott to win a thrilling US PGA Championship.
The American, 28, capped off a sensational year in which he also defended the US Open to take his Major tally to three.
That puts him level with American prodigy Jordan Spieth and just one short of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
Woods’ surge up the board with a closing round of six-under 64 had fans dreaming of the comeback once thought impossible.
But Koepka didn’t read the script and grabbed the season’s final Major by the throat with birdies on the 15th and 16th to assert control after an early wobble.
Koepka finished on 16 under, two shots ahead of Woods, after a final-round 66 at Bellerive Country Club in St Louis, Missouri.
Latest golf news
US PGA Championship final leaderboard
1. Koepka -16
2. Woods -14
3. Scott -13
T4. Cink -11
T4. Rahm -11
That equalled the lowest aggregate score in a Major on 264 – level with Henrik Stenson’s 2016 Open score.
And he joins a list of legends in Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win the US PGA and US Open in the same year.
Koepka missed the Masters with a wrist injury, and said he could never have dreamed he would return to win two of the next three Majors.
He said: “To go from wondering whether I’d play again – or at least whether I’d play again this year – to winning two Mjaors is truly incredible. I can’t put it into words, other than to say I’m glad it happened.
“I heard all the roars when Tiger went on his run, and then Scotty went on a great run too. That made this win even more enjoyable.”
Aussie Scott bogeyed the last to finish on 13 under, two ahead of American Stewart Cink and Spain’s Jon Rahm.