Brooks Koepka conquered his third US PGA Championship title at Oak Hill.

Golf General

Brooks Koepka conquered his third US PGA Championship title at Oak Hill.

Brooks Koepka outclassed Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler in a back-nine battle to conquer the PGA Championship for his fifth major title, giving Saudi-backed LIV Golf a milestone major triumph.

Determined as ever to restore his reputation as the player to beat in the majors, Koepka ran off three quick birdies early, never lost the lead amid a gritty fight from Viktor Hovland and closed with a 3-under 67 for a two-shot victory.

He won his third Wanamaker Trophy — only Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen with five and Tiger Woods with four have won the PGA Championship more time — and capture his first major in four years.

He now has won five of his last 22 majors, a rate exceeded only by Woods, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, and Ben Hogan in the last 75 years.

Koepka is in pretty heady company just about everywhere he looks. His five majors are as many as Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson. Among active players, only Woods (15) and Phil Mickelson (six) have more.

Koepka looked as powerful as ever and left little doubt about his place in the game with his two-shot win over hard-luck Hovland (68) and Scottie Scheffler, who closed with a 65 and returned to No. 1 in the world.