The US PGA ( first day)

It’s rare for me to post during a tourney but such was Brooks Koepka’s record breaking round of 63 that I was permitted. Beth Page (black), the course this year, is so tough that it carries a warning sign for the good club golfer to keep away.

In a country associated with high-charging country clubs and golf courses Beth Page is a public course which anyone can play for a $100 green fee. It’s undulating which makes stance tricky and you need power and accuracy as the small greens are surrounded by bunkers.

Koepka had no bogey and birdied 7 times. He is shadowed by New Zealander Danny Lee and Tommy Fleetwood was well positioned at -3.

Brooks Koepka is not a natural star. He does not interview that well, prefers baseball to golf and is not as popular as Matt Kuchar or Phil Mickelson.

One senses he is not bothered. His record speaks for itself. In the last seven Majors he has won three of them.

He has the power, accuracy and temperament to win more. I have to declare an interest as he carries the Pargie tenner. So do Tommy Fleetwood, Molinari, Dustin Johnson and Joe Rahm – I am less confident about Lucas Glover.

In the afternoon I watched the featured three of Koepka,Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari.

A Las Vegas gambler won over $1 million on Woods winning the Masters and backed him for the Grand Slam. I would not follow him. Tiger’s back is too fragile and, whilst he may make the cut, he is way behind Koepka. The threat may come from Dustin Johnson whose game is well-suited to this track.