There will be only one Koepka playing the weekend at the 3M Open, and it’s Chase not Brooks.
The unheralded younger brother was low Koepka, getting the better of his four-time major winning big bro. Chase shot 70-68 for a 4-under par total and made the 36-hole cut by a comfortable two strokes.
Brooks, who will defend titles the next two weeks at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational and the PGA Championship, was on the wrong side of the cutline. He needed to birdie the par-5 18th to make the cut on the number, but couldn’t get the job done. He shot even-par 71 on Friday, and now has missed the cut in two of his last three starts with a T-62 at The Memorial as all he has to show for playing the last three weeks. Koepka, who took 32 putts and lost more than 5 strokes to the field on the greens, tossed his putter in frustration at one point and it also looked like his surgically-repaired knee continued to give him trouble.
Brooks wasn’t the only big name sent home packing. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson struggled to a 74 to miss the cut by one stroke. Tommy Fleetwood, who was competing in his first tournament since the resumption of the PGA Tour season, looked rusty in shooting 1-over 143. Minnesota native Tom Lehman, who consulted on the design of the course, also shot even. Paul Casey missed his second straight cut (71-71–142).
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Monday qualifier Aaron Crawford couldn’t follow up his opening-round 69, shooting 74 to miss the cut, but the Tour caddie did beat his boss Martin Trainer (74-74–148), who missed his seventh cut in a row and 11th in his past 12 starts.
Amateur Angus Flanagan, who earned a sponsor invite by winning the Minnesota State Open earlier this month, shot a pair of 72s but benefited from the experience.
“I played with Tom Lewis, who’s a fellow English guy. Seeing how he plays the game and he’s ranked top-70 in the world, there’s not too much difference between my game and his game, but at the end of the day he just holed a couple more putts than I did and easily made the cut, so that was good to see,” Flanagan said.
Seung Yul-Noh (shoulder injury) and Chris Stroud (illness) withdrew on Friday, joining World No. 4 Dustin Johnson, who withdrew after the opening round (back), among players leaving early.
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