Brooks Koepka, who has local ties, set to compete in this month’s Honda Classic
The Honda Classic has a big goal accomplished heading into the 2020 version of the well-respected and long-standing golf tournament.
The No. 2 player in the world, Brooks Koepka, to compete in the four-day event scheduled for Feb. 27 through March 1 at PGA National Resort & Spa.
Koepka, who grew up in West Palm Beach, is certain to be a fan favorite and attract a huge gallery.
“Every golfer and fan in the local community obviously takes great pride in what Brooks has accomplished the past several years,” Honda Classic Executive Director Ken Kennerly said. “His presence will undoubtedly create an enormous amount of excitement at this year’s tournament.”
Koepka, at age 29, has won seven PGA Tour events, including four majors.
A year ago, Koepka tied with Rickie Fowler for second place in the Honda Classic behind winner Keith Mitchell. On the final hole, Mitchell holed a 15-foot putt to record a 9-under-par 271. Koepka birdied two of his final three holes in that final round.
Fowler and Mitchell will also be back for this year’s tournament.
Koepka, who attended Cardinal Newman High in West Palm Beach, played more baseball than golf as a kid, but his sports preference changed in high school as he became intrigued by golf.
He was not a high-ranked junior player and went on to play college golf at Florida State University. Although he did not win a tournament until he was a college senior, Koepka was a three-time All-American.
In 2018, Koepka was the PGA Tour Player of the Year as he won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
Koepka cautiously eyes the success he has had as a pro.
“I view myself completely differently than people view me,” he said. “I still think it’s weird when I walk into a place and I can see eyes are on me just for dinner. And I’m like, ‘What’s everybody staring at?’
“I just view myself as a regular guy, just like everybody else. And I just happen to be really good at golf, and that’s it.”
Tickets and packages for the 2020 Honda Classic are on sale at thehondaclassic.com or by calling 844-846-6328.
The original version of this story incorrectly listed Koepka as the No. 1 golfer in the world. Rory McIlroy is the top golfer.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 2:06 PM.