Brooks Koepka Withdraws on Sunday with U.S. Open Looming

Brooks Koepka’s RBC Canadian Open started like a comeback story. It ended with a major championship alarm bell.

Koepka withdrew before Sunday’s final round at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley because of a hand injury, cutting short a week that had briefly looked like it could turn into his best PGA TOUR showing of the season.

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Now, with the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills just days away, the bigger question is obvious: how serious is this?

Koepka opened the RBC Canadian Open with a 6-under 64, grabbing a share of the lead and flashing signs that his putting and confidence were finally lining up.

A second-round 68 kept him close enough to matter, but Saturday changed the entire tone of his week.

He shot 2-over 72 in the third round and afterward revealed he had been fighting a strange issue in his hand throughout the day.

Koepka said he couldn’t properly grip the club with his ring finger and pinkie finger, describing the feeling as numbness and looseness that made the club difficult to control.

That’s not exactly the kind of update anyone wants to hear from a two-time U.S. Open champion.

Koepka said the issue appeared suddenly. He felt fine during warmups, but when he got to the range, gripping the club became a problem.

He received treatment during the round and said the hand felt better late, though he wasn’t sure whether medication played a role.

By Sunday, he was done.

The timing is brutal. Koepka won the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and returning there should have been a massive storyline. Instead, his status is now surrounded by uncertainty.

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This was supposed to be a momentum-building week.

Instead, Koepka leaves Canada with a hand problem, a missed final round and a major championship countdown suddenly filled with tension.

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