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Monday Scorecard: Koepka dominates for 'most satisfying' major victory

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"Monday Scorecard" is a look back at the biggest stories from the golf world over the past seven days.

Brooks does it again

Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Brooks Koepka seemed relieved after collecting his fourth career major in the last two years on Sunday.

Facing adversity he had never experienced before with his record-setting 54-hole lead slipping away after four straight bogeys on the back nine, the 29-year-old was able to hang on for a dramatic win he calls his most satisfying yet.

"To be standing here today with four majors, it's mind-blowing," Koepka said during his post-win press conference. "Today was definitely the most satisfying out of all of them. For how stressful that round was, how stressful DJ made that, I know for a fact that was the most excited I've been, ever in my life, right there on 18."

Koepka is on a run at major championships that golf hasn't witnessed since Tiger Woods' dominance. He's won four of his last eight starts, and three of his last five. Also, thanks to the PGA Championship's move to May, he's collected his last three victories at majors in less than a calendar year.

Here's how Koepka has fared since his first U.S. Open win in 2017:

Year Major Place
2017 U.S. Open Win
2017 Open Championship T-6
2017 PGA Championship T-13
2018 Masters DNP
2018 U.S. Open Win
2018 Open Championship T-39
2018 PGA Championship Win
2019 Masters T-2
2019 PGA Championship Win

Koepka and Tiger are the only players with more wins than missed cuts at major championships.

Also, check out this run of finishing positions in Koepka's last 10 major rounds.

Score: Hole-in-one. Koepka is the best in the world right now and the player golf has yearned for since Tiger's peak. He may not win with the same flair as Woods or rack up regular PGA Tour trophies at the same rate. But the story at every major championship for the coming years will be about Koepka, and whether anyone in the field can take him down.

Another close call for DJ

David Cannon / David Cannon Collection / Getty

Dustin Johnson faced a seven-shot deficit prior to Sunday's round and he almost pulled off the impossible. By playing the first 15 holes at 3-under while the entire field was struggling to make par, DJ did his part to make the final day of the PGA Championship a chaotic one that no one saw coming.

Saying Johnson choked down the stretch is egregious. There's no debate he carded two untimely bogeys with the tournament well within grasp. But nearly erasing the largest 54-hole lead in PGA Championship history is a valiant effort.

Johnson was the only player to break par in all four rounds at Bethpage Black, and he finished four shots clear of the next closest competitor.

Score: Birdie. DJ has now finished as the runner-up in all four majors during his career. While he'd obviously trade that for a couple more major trophies, Johnson will eventually get his second if he continues to knock on the door.

Tiger Woods' early exit

Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Fresh off his Masters win with expectations sky high, Tiger failed to deliver at the PGA Championship.

It's easy to make excuses for his struggles. He was rusty after taking extended time off since Augusta. He was sued days prior to the tournament. He was sick on Wednesday and forced to skip his final practice day. But ultimately, Tiger didn't play nearly well enough to make the cut, let alone contend.

Woods shot 72 and 73 while falling one stroke short of the cut at Bethpage Black, the venue where he won the 2002 U.S. Open. Making matters worse, he played alongside Koepka, who finished as a runner-up to him at the Masters, and was beat by 17 shots over 36 holes.

Woods ranked T-129 in driving accuracy over two rounds and only hit three fairways during the pivotal second round. He wasn't sharp, but that doesn't mean the 15-time major winner suddenly can't contend.

Score: Double-bogey. The disappointing missed cut was only Tiger's ninth in his professional career. It'll perhaps serve as a reality check not only for him, but also those with lofty expectations for the 43-year-old green jacket winner. Let's pump the brakes on Tiger matching Jack Nicklaus' major win record this season, or even in the coming years. Tiger now relies heavily on hitting fairways, as he can't overpower fields anymore. His opportunities to win may only come on forgiving courses off the tee, such as Augusta National.

Non-threatening Rory

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Once again, Rory McIlroy's name appears close to the top of the leaderboard. And once again, another major goes by where the Northern Irishman wasn't a factor.

McIlroy, who finished tied for eighth at Bethpage Black, found himself with two early weekend tee times and let the leaders fall back to him. He posted two nice 69s in Rounds 3 and 4, but the 30-year-old was still nowhere close to contention. He even needed a late back-nine rally on Friday to climb inside the cutline.

Yes, he won the 2019 Players Championship, but McIlroy hasn't notched a major victory in over four years. Considering most of the recent venues -including Augusta, Bethpage Black, and Erin Hills, to name a few - all appear to fit his game, it's eyebrow-raising that McIlroy hasn't been a threat.

Score: Par. Rory is no longer the one to watch when talking about major wins, as Koepka has matched his total of four over the last 23 months.

Blimp tracer

CBS decided that PGA Championship week would be a great time to roll out a new feature for the broadcast, with the network switching to an overhead view and displaying the ball's path with a red line.

It wasn't well received, even by PGA Tour players.

Justin Thomas, who was forced to withdraw from the PGA Championship with a wrist injury, weighed in on the matter.

To display the red line over a digital view of the course, the screen showing the golfer making the swing was reduced to a fraction of its original size.

Owners of big-screen TVs weren't pleased.

Maybe this is how the terrible idea came to life?

Score: Quadruple-bogey. Throw this technology into the trash, CBS.

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