ESPN Golf: Brooks Koepka Tees Up Practice Round at Shinnecock Hills Despite Hand Injury Scare

Koepka Clears Medical Hurdle, Eyes Third Shinnecock Title

Brooks Koepka confirmed his entry into the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club after completing a nine-hole practice round on Tuesday, showing notable improvement in the left-hand weakness that forced him to withdraw from Sunday's RBC Canadian Open final round.

Ulnar Nerve, Not the Neck

Imaging taken Sunday in Canada and Monday in New York returned clean results, ruling out a recurrence of the C5-C6 disc herniation Koepka suffered in 2021. He now believes the culprit is a flare-up of the ulnar nerve — a nerve running down the arm that can become irritated from repetitive elbow flexion.

"There's absolutely no pain," Koepka said. "It just feels like you hit your funny bone all the time."

He described the sensation during his swing as his ring finger and pinkie feeling as though they were releasing the club through impact. His grip strength is not 100%, but he deemed it sufficient to compete.

A Course He Knows How to Win

Koepka captured his second consecutive U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, shooting a final-round 68 to finish at 1-over, edging Tommy Fleetwood by a single stroke. Since rejoining the PGA Tour from LIV Golf in January, he has recorded 6 top-25 finishes in 12 starts.

"Ball striking is even better than what it's been," Koepka said, adding that creativity off the tee and precise approach angles will be essential to navigating the course.

Strokeslab Perspective

With Koepka emphasizing approach angle management, his SG: APP trend since returning to the PGA Tour will be the key metric to watch heading into the week. If his approach numbers reflect the confidence he's projecting, a deep run at Shinnecock is far from unlikely.