It was a 10-footer save par on hole 13 that filled Bob Koepka with hope that his son Brooks might just crush the June 18 U.S. Open at Wisconsin’s Erin Hills Golf Course.

 

“That’s when I felt he was where he needed to be,” said Koepka, a 1977 graduate of Bridgeport High School. “As long as he didn’t give one back, I felt like there were birdie holes coming up he could make.”

 

And he did just that; birdying the next three holes, parring 17 and going in to the 18^th in a position not only to seal up his first major championship, but also clinch a U.S. Open record. He sunk the final hole in three strokes rather than two, acing the coveted tourney with a score of 67, a 16-under par performance that tied a record with Rory McIlroy’s 2011 U.S. Open victory.

 

“I’m sure he would have liked to finish with a birdie. It was a big challenge, but his shot rolled over to a funny spot and didn’t have one of the best lies. It was an OK shot and at that point it would have been nice to drop a 40-footer and get the record, but he’s OK sharing it with his buddy Rory I’m sure,” said the elder Koepka.

 

Record or not, it was as he prepared to drive the 18th hole when the 27-year-old former Florida State collegiate golfer's emotions kicked in.

 

“He knew he had it,” Bob Koepka said. “For me, the moment came a little earlier.”

 

When commentators mentioned he was from Bridgeport, West Virginia and had played sports at Bridgeport High School and continued his baseball career at West Virginia Wesleyan College, he said he definitely became emotionally invested.

 

“When they talked about my hometown and my college, that was pretty neat,” Koepka said. “At that point, I began thinking about my mom and dad and that they were such a big part of my kids' lives when they were little." 

 

Both Burwell and Mary Koepka have passed on, but they had a great view of it all, Koepka said.

 

Koepka has always believed in the importance of mental toughness, a quality he learned growing up in Bridgeport and working with top-notch coaches and athletic  programs. He said from the time Brooks first became involved with sports, he really tried to pass that on. Those who observed Brooks's demeanor on Sunday would agree that mental toughness prevailed. Brooks Koepka maintained a calmness throughout the day, his dad said.

 

“I talked to him before the round," Bob Koepka said. "He called me and I told him I had a good feeling all day.  I told him that it was his day - and don't come home without the trophy.”

 

The preliminaries had been favorable to Koepka, who had taken an unconventional route to the majors via the European Challenge Tour and ultimately the European Tour.

 

“He was leading the field in greens in regulations for three rounds, driving fairways with fourth-highest accuracy,” Koepka said. “He was very determined.”

 

Entering the final round of the four-day tourney, Koepka was tied with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood for second with Brian Harman in the lead. Koepka’s solid 72 in the finals gave him a four-stroke lead. Tying for second place were Harman and Hideki Matsuyama with 12-under; Fleetwood taking the fourth position with 11-under.

 

Brooks has played this year with intense focus; focus fueled by frustration, his dad said.

 

“He felt he wasn’t living up to his own expectations and kept saying his goal this year was to win a major,” Koepka said. “Now that he’s accomplished that, I’m sure he’s reevaluating those goals and looking for more. I know he wants to make the Presidents Cup, too, and this will probably lock this up for him.”

 

But for now, the nation’s newest golf sensation is taking some time to let it all soak in; a reality which struck him as he rode to the Erin Hills clubhouse to make his first major victory official. His dad continues to experience reality checks, too.

 

“It’s still shocking. I can now say my son is a national champion,” he said. “People are coming up to me and shaking my hand and I say I really didn’t do anything. But it’s still such a sense of accomplishment.”

 

Koepka said he couldn’t be prouder of Brooks or his younger brother Chase, who is also pursuing the majors through the European tours. After witnessing his older brother’s life-changing victory, he flew via red eye Sunday night to Denmark where he’ll play this week after tying for third place in Switzerland three weeks ago.

 

Bob Koepka, who was a solid athlete for BHS back in the 1970s, a starter on the Indians’ basketball and baseball teams, said back in 2014 that he had received his best Father’s Day present ever when Brooks sunk a birdie on the 18^th hole at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, tying for fourth place and earning his PGA tour card and first Masters invitational.

 

Now that’s been topped.

 

“Yeah; this is my best Father’s Day present – at least until next year,” Koepka said. “We’re looking for another.”

 

In a post-tournament interview, Brooks Koepka said he hoped the win sufficed, adding "I didn't even buy him a card." 

 

Bob Koepka and his wife Sherry reside in Lake Worth, Fla. Read more about his life there - and how he remains proud of his Bridgeport and WVWC roots - in this coming Sunday's "It's Happening" blog. 

 

Editor's Note: Pictured above/cover and taken at a previous golf tournament are (left to right) Jake Amos (Associate Head Men's Coach at University of South Carolina), Bob Koepka, Brooks Koepka, Chase Koepka, Sherry Koepka and caddy, Ricky Elliott. Photo courtesy of  Bob Koepka. 

 

Read a 2014 interview with Bob Koepka during which he talked about playing sports in Bridgeport and how he strived to instil those values in his sons HERE.

 

Read a sidebar story about Brooks Koepka’s caddy Ricky Elliott and the fate behind the dynamic duo coming soon to Connect-Bridgeport.