AUGUSTA: A winning trip to Saudi Arabia seems to have reawakened the major beast inside Brooks Koepka as he snatched a commanding lead midway through the 87th Masters Tournament.
The 32-year-old American shot a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday, and as dark clouds gathered over Augusta on Friday ahead of a dangerous weather system moving in which could hamper scoring later in the day, he added a bogey-free 5-under 67.
That gave him a 4-shot lead over second-placed Sam Bennett, the US Amateur Champion, who has proved to be a surprise package with two consecutive rounds of 68.
The man who won the PGA Championship in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019, and the US Open in 2017 and 2018, said he is very close to his best form after enduring a couple of terrible years as he struggled with an injury when he shattered his left knee in a fall.