Brooks Koepka downplays injury fears

Brooks Koepka has played down concerns over his fitness after receiving on-course treatment multiple times during the second round of the US PGA Championship.

The back-to-back defending champion – looking to become the first player in the strokeplay era of the championship to win the Wanamaker trophy three years in a row – had to call for the physio to work on his hip on three occasions during the back nine on Friday.

However, after carding a two-under 68 at TPC Harding Park to move to within two shots of the lead at the halfway stage, he insisted there is no cause for concern.

• WATCH – Fowler misses SIX-INCH putt

• Pro DQ’d for signing incorrect score at US PGA

• Bob Mac bounces back to make US PGA cut

“It’s just tight,” said the 31-year-old. “I woke up this morning, it was tight. Worked out, it got even tighter. It was a little tight when I was hitting balls on the range but it’s nothing to be worried about. We’ll loosen it up again and it will be a lot better.”

Koepka has been plagued by a knee injury for most of the last year but he insisted that this particular ailment is unrelated.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 OF THE BUNKERED PODCAST

“My TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae) is usually pretty tight on the side,” he said. “It just kind of moved to the front and tightened up the front and kind of the inside and groin. It will be fine. It’s something I’m not worried about.”

Koepka first called for the physio on the 12th hole after his hip “locked up”

“It just cramped and I couldn’t really do anything with it.”

• Emergency services tackle fire at Wentworth

It was only after more treatment on the 16th that he started to feel better.

“I think the one going into 16, where he yanked on my foot, I don’t know what he does, but it popped and it felt like it just kind of repositioned itself, and that’s when it felt a lot better.”

At six-under, Koepka is two shots off the lead posted early on day two by Chinese star Haotong Li. 

• DeChambeau breaks driver in US PGA first round

Should the American go on to win, he will become the first player to win the same major three years running since Peter Thomson won his third straight Open Championship in 1956. 

“I’m pretty happy,” added Koepka. “I feel like I probably could be ten [-under] right now. Hit a lot of good putts that just didn’t go in. A couple of them, if I just hit them, they’re in. But I’m driving it pretty well. Iron play, I’m pretty pleased with. I like where I’m at.”