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Koepka finishes 4th at The Open to narrowly miss out on history

PAUL ELLIS / AFP / Getty

While Brooks Koepka's chances of winning The Open were long done by the time he bogeyed the 17th hole on Sunday, the late blemish ended up costing the top-ranked player a chance at history.

The bogey led to Koepka dropping from third place to fourth, narrowly missing the chance to become the first player in the modern era (since 1934) to record a top-three finish in all four major championships during a calendar year.

After winning two of the four majors last year, Koepka finished second at The Masters to a resurgent Tiger Woods in April. He would successfully defend his PGA Championship win, with the 29-year-old claiming that title for the second straight season in May at Bethpage. Another second-place finish followed in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, setting the stage for a run at history this week in Northern Ireland.

With poor weather headed to Royal Portrush on Sunday, many thought Koepka could put pressure on leader Shane Lowry. A poor start quickly derailed him, however, as the former Florida State star opened with four straight bogeys.

Koepka's play improved for the remainder of the day, but he failed to save par from the greenside bunker on No. 17, dropping him to fourth.

His fourth-place showing means he still joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Jordan Spieth as the only players to finish in the top four spots of all majors in a calendar year.

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