Brooks Koepka fired an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
The five-time major champion made the switch to a Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 putter to address short-game issues that plagued him at the PGA Championship.
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“Hopefully I can just kind of [get] some confidence with it and build some momentum off of it,” Koepka said.
Koepka, who finished T-55 at Aronimink, expressed frustration with his putting last week.
“I look back at last week, which I’m very kind of annoyed with because I kind of let the last couple holes get away from me,” he said.
The new putter offers the feel of a blade with additional toe hang, helping the club face release naturally.
Koepka spent a full day practicing in his putting studio in South Florida to fix mechanical flaws.
“Just try to fix the problem,” he said. “I was in there for quite a while working on some different things, trying some different putters.”
Despite his putting struggles, Koepka remained confident in his ball-striking.
“I feel like I’m in complete control of my golf ball — shape, spin, trajectory, everything seems to be right where I need it to be,” he said.
In Thursday’s round, Koepka eagled the par-5 12th and added four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine.
