Brooks Koepka Shoots 63 to Take Early Lead at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Brooks Koepka is looking like a contender again.
After making the cut but failing to truly contend at the PGA Championship last week, Koepka shot 8 under Thursday in the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the best round of the early morning wave. The 63 was his lowest round of the season thus far.
Koepka swapped his putter heading into the tournament, favoring a a Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 at TPC Craig Ranch this week. It's the latest of several putters Koepka has already gone through this season, and the swap seems to be going as well as could have been hoped for-Koepka gained more than two strokes on the field on the greens on Thursday.
"Finally, I felt good with the putter," Koepka said after his round. "I felt good the last few days with it when I was working in my studio. Then, when I got here, it felt very comfortable. [caddie] Rick [Elliott] said the same thing from watching. Which also kind of helps build a little confidence, what you feel versus the reality of it. Just happy with the way everything went today."
Moving up the leaderboard
- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 21, 2026
Brooks Koepka and Si Woo Kim both birdie to improve to T1 @CJByronNelson.
Follow their Featured Group on PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/VdCTo47Zkn
Koepka's season has been solid, but his results have been held back due to his struggles on the greens. He was essentially gaining strokes on the field in every aspect of his game aside from putting. While he's just one round into this week's tournament, if his putting has taken a turn for the better, Koepka could quickly become a force to be reckoned with in the coming months of the season.
The improved putter comes at the perfect time for Koepka. The U.S. Open, a tournament he has won twice in his career, returns to Shinnecock Hills at the end of June, where Koepka won the tournament back in 2018.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 4:01 PM.