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Koepka grabs command of PGA Championship as Bethpage hurts McIlroy and Woods

Koepka holds a one-shot lead over New Zealand’s Danny Lee.

LAST UPDATE | 17 May 2019

BROOKS KOEPKA MADE a mockery of the ‘extremely difficult’ warning signs around Bethpage Black as he blitzed his way to an early four-shot lead with a sublime 63 on day one of this year’s PGA Championship.

The holder of the Wanamaker Trophy went bogey-free, never looking back after birdying his first (the 1oth hole) with a sensational 40-foot putt.  He birdied either side of the turn and by the time he was through 18 holes he had posted a target of -7, with Tommy Fleetwood his closest challenger on -3 at the time.

As one of the day’s later starters, Danny Lee charged up the leaderboard with eight birdies and two bogeys to sit just one shot further back on -6.

Koepka’s display, though, drew the spotlight away from Tiger Woods. The Masters winner suffered a nightmare opening hole as he double-bogeyed the 10th and then notched a second +2 on 17 before finding a rhythm after the turn.

Woods followed up back-to-back birdies with an eagle on the fourth that brought him brilliantly under par. However, it was short-lived as he slipped back to +2 at the finish after three bogeys in his final four holes.

Rory McIlroy failed to find any sort of rhythm, while his playing partners Jason Day and Phil Mickelson picked up the pace alongside him.

The Northern Irishman finished his round on +2, managing just a single birdie on the 18th hole, as well as three bogeys along the way.

Despite having chances to get moving with his Australian and American counterparts, the 30-year-old will have to give himself every chance tomorrow to make it to the weekend eat into Koepka’s nine-stroke advantage over him.

Padraig Harrington also had an afternoon to forget. Two bogeys and a birdie from his opening nine holes seemed a respectable return for a course of this magnitude.

However, four bogeys around the turn – including consecutive dropped shots on 15 and 16 – saw his opening round collapse before him.

Graeme McDowell is safely in the clubhouse with par to his name. G-Mac made the turn after an excellent opening nine left him -1, before an up-and-down back nine brought four pars, three bogeys and two birdies.

PGA: PGA Championship - Practice Round SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

For Shane Lowry, the foreboding signs were more than credible  on a tough Thursday. The Offaly man was one under through five holes, but slipped back to +2 by the turn and his second nine brought four more bogeys split by just a birdie at the sixth.

See the full, up to date leaderboard here.

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:24 AM

    Defence is the biggest difference that sexton ( and henshaw) will bring. Taking the line up is a very strong part of his game. Leinster over the past few months have been very passive in defence this has to stop. Seanie looks like he’s going to start ( not sure I’d go with that but hey) he needs to dominate contact, so far this year he’s been very passive, he’s not go the skills and ability of Max or the work rate of Ruddock so he needs his best game in about 2 seasons.

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    Mute grandslamkbo
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:56 PM

    @Chris Mc: O’Brien shouldn’t start this game. He has no form at all. Leinster have plenty of practice winning massive games without him.

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:11 PM

    @grandslamkbo: I agree, my backrow who be Fardy, Conan and Ruddock. But it looks like Sean is starting.

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:34 PM

    @Chris Mc:

    So Chris do you think J Lowe wont make the team , even if we need tries ::can you let us see your team ::thanks

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 5:34 PM

    @Martin Quinn: I never said lowe not to start. I wouldn’t pick O’Brien.
    My team
    Healy, Cronin Furlong
    Ryan and toner
    Fardy toner and Ruddock
    McGrath and sexton
    Henshaw ringrose in the centre
    Lowe, Kearney and larmour

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:43 AM

    With Leinster back to more or less full strength they should have too much powder for Toulouse. It’ll be a cracking game but I think home advantage is worth around 7 and with the bookies calling it an 8 point Leinster win I’d say that’s about right, maybe even slightly more.

    The two key factors will be the form of their returning key men – sexton and ringrose especially and secondly they need to tighten up defensively. They’re leaking on average 24 points a game over the last 7 games so if they can bring that number down then there should be handy enough winners against a young but very talented Toulouse side.

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    Mute Fred McHugh
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:12 AM

    @Jim Demps: gun powder. Toulouse like leaking points as well haha

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:27 AM

    @Fred McHugh: they absolutely do but getting into a high scoring slug out wouldn’t be the best idea for Leinster. Structure and wear them down and they’ll walk it.

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    Mute Baz Dunne
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:47 AM

    Your anti Leinster bias is old and predictable. You might pepper it with occasional compliments but everyone knows you can’t stand us.
    At least some of us admit we can’t stand the other.

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    Mute Baz Dunne
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:48 AM

    @Fred McHugh: apologies Fred that reply was meant for Jim Dumps.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:20 AM

    @Baz Dunne: i thought you had me muted? Couldn’t go a week without me eh?

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:37 AM

    @Jim Demps: you get some amount of stick on here. Good job your not sensitive. Anyways tell your mob to keep up their end and we’ll see you in the final.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:44 AM

    @Chris Mc: era I take no notice. If some grown man spends his day slinging insults at me then I figure let him at it, he can’t have too many important things going for him. Once they make it personal I normally just ignore them until they want to talk about rugby. The only person I’ve muted is Martin though.

    I fully expect munster to win. It won’t be easy but the result is there for us if we show up.

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    Mute Baz Dunne
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:18 PM

    @Chris Mc: bless you Chris you say every yr there’ll be an all Irish final and it never happens. Can’t see it happening this yr.. in fact I’d say Sarries v Toulouse is more likely than Leinster v Munster in my opinion.

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    Mute Fitz Mac
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:01 PM

    @Jim Demps: He misses you Jim. Baz gets lonely with all those Dubs ; )

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    Mute Fitz Mac
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:11 PM

    @Baz Dunne: It’s going to be a Munster vs.Leinster HC & Pro 14 final .Believe Baz , believe.Eire Abu !!Éire Abú!!!

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:13 PM

    @Baz Dunne: this is the third year in a row where both sides got to the semis. It might be this year, I hope so. As long as we win the 5th I’ll be ok but it would be so sweet to beat munster in the final.

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:21 PM

    @Baz Dunne:

    Baz I hope are not annoyed with me, just because he has Muted me and not you, does not mean you need to up your game !! He does run away when things get hard and someone sees his hidden knife jabs at all things Leinster.

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:30 PM

    @Martin Quinn:

    Just love his comments saying you are a “grown man spends his day slinging insults at me” Baz all your posts are about 2 sentence’s long and you post maybe 2 posts where his 10 posts a page tells it all >> One page had 28 posts ::WOW now he is hoping for the 42.ie to hire him ::the lad has a problem ::and he says you “cant have too many important things going for you”
    Keep happy : ) ; )

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:47 PM

    @Fred McHugh:

    Regarding the 24 points per game I feel we were through to the play off for all that time. I feel it would a lot less if we put a better team out, but it does not matter now as it all comes down to this weekend .
    Regarding Munster
    I believe Munster will bring out one of their famious European games and get through (and I may have a go at some posters but I will always cheer for Munster in these games) Wish you the very best
    COYBIR

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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:39 AM

    “We can’t kick loosely to them or their counter attack Will punish us.”

    He has a tenacity to kick when there’s a need to keep possession, I hope he remembers this during the game. COYBIG

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    Mute Camroc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:41 AM

    @Con Cussed: You really are concussed.

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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:26 AM

    @Camroc: What for? This is the biggest weakness in his game, other scrum halfs too within the Irish setup, they keep kicking the ball away when we need to protect it. We often kick the ball to the opposition at crucial parts of the game (often the last few minutes) and have lost games as a result.

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:39 AM

    @Con Cussed: I think some of that is he’s trying to show joe he can do the Conor Murrary role. There’s a time and place for kicking the ball away and Luke’s not really a master at it.

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    Mute Eddie Hekenui
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:42 AM

    @Con Cussed: Which games have we lost as a result?

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