Brooks Koepka's son has a new hickory putter, while Dad is contending at Dunhill - Golfweek
Crew Koepka has his own hickory putter and his dad finally looks like Brooks Koepka again. Those are the two biggest storylines for the Koepka family after a few days in Scotland.
The five-time major champion heads into the weekend at the DP World Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship just three shots off the lead through 36 holes, giving him his best opportunity in months to seriously contend for a title. It's a position that has been rare during his first season back on the PGA Tour, but not entirely surprising.
Koepka's year has been a bit of a mixed bag. He's missed five cuts in 16 starts, yet when he's made it to the weekend, he's generally looked dangerous. He has six top-20 finishes, including a T-12 at the Masters and a T-13 at The Players. His best finish remains a tie for ninth at the Cognizant Classic, but a strong weekend in Scotland could quickly change that.
What's been interesting about Koepka's return is that he's stuck with the company line that success isn't measured strictly by results. Earlier this season, the 36-year-old said the biggest benefit of leaving LIV Golf wasn't a better schedule or a different competitive environment. It was getting more time with his family.
"I think I've been most pleased with … just the happiness that I have," Koepka said earlier this year.
The former world No. 1 admitted he felt like a weight had been lifted after making the move back to the PGA Tour. More importantly, his wife, Jena, and son have been able to travel with him more often, something he repeatedly pointed to as the biggest reason for returning.
This week in Scotland, Crew Koepka got his first hickory putter, and the family let him enjoy it on the practice green.
"Whether I play good or whether I play bad, I walk off the 18th green, my wife and son are standing right there," Koepka said earlier this year. "My son doesn't care if I shoot 80 or 65."
That perspective appears to be helping him on the course as well. The statistics suggest his ball-striking has largely been where it needs to be, with the putter often standing between him and higher finishes. Earlier this season, Koepka joked that putting had been the most disappointing part of his game.
If the putter — dad's, not Crew's — cooperates over the final 36 holes in Scotland, he has a chance to change the narrative of his 2026 season in a hurry. Casey Jarvis leads the way at 11 under through two rounds.
After spending much of the year searching for the form that produced five major championships and nine PGA Tour victories, Koepka enters the weekend exactly where he wants to be: near the top of the leaderboard with a trophy within reach.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
