Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka is the world No.1 again. 

His PGA Championship win on Sunday at Bethpage Black confirmed his re-ascent to the top of the standings. 

But we didn’t need a rankings computer to tell us that. Anyone who watched the way Koepka dismantled the field in New York last week was already in no doubt.

The 29-year-old Floridian is the best golfer in the world at the moment – and has been for some time. 

All the words in the world can paint the picture of his recent dominance – but sometimes it is the numbers that tell it best. 

So here are just a few of the best statistics from Koepka’s PGA Championship win – that takes his career tally to four majors and counting: 

History-maker

Koepka is now the first player in the history of golf to hold two different major championships in back-to-back fashion at the same time. 

Since winning his first major at the US Open in 2017, Koepka has racked up four majors in nine starts. No golfer has ever won his first four majors in two years or fewer. 

Not even the great Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus started this fast, and neither of them have won both the US Open and PGA back to back in their storied careers. 

Thursday and Friday were where Koepka did his damage, his rounds of 63 and 65 destroying the competition and amassing a 128-shot total – the lowest ever shot in a major championship over the first 36 holes. 

Finishing the job

There was a slight wobble on Sunday, four bogeys in a row on the back nine saw Dustin Johnson close to just one shot behind at one point.

But in the end, no-one knows how to get over the line at a major quite like Koepka at the moment. 

His record of four wins in his last eight stars is eye-popping enough. But when you compare it to his overall PGA Tour record it is even more impressive.

Talk about saving your best for the big occasions, Koepka has twice as many major wins as he does tournament wins elsewhere with two victories from 93 events.  

The US Open in Pebble Beach is now less than a month away. It’s hard to bet against him making it three national titles in a row there as well. 

And then, all eyes will be on Royal Portrush and The 148th Open in July. 

Elliott’s importance

Koepka’s rise from Challenge Tour player to multiple major champion is the stuff of legend at this point. 

But one man who has been there nearly every step of the way has been his caddie Ricky Elliott. 

A Portrush native, you can rest assured that Elliott will already be dreaming of a Claret Jug for his man this summer on home soil. 

The easy-going Elliott, formerly on the bag of 2003 Champion Golfer of the Year Ben Curtis, has clearly been a match made in heaven since linking up with Koepka in 2013. 

As Elliott remembers: "He had just come off the Challenge Tour – the lad who was caddying for him couldn't come to America – and his coach Claude Harmon asked if I wanted to come and caddie for this lad in the PGA," Elliott explained.

"It was the first time I had ever caddied for someone in a major, and I said 'absolutely'.

"The first practice we played I just thought, 'This guy is the real deal, he is hitting the ball unbelievably.' And I just held on to him. It wasn't a hard decision!"