Shortest par 4 bites Brooks Koepka again, derails second round at Sentry TOC

For the second day in a row, the shortest par 4 on the Plantation Course at Kapalua bit Brooks Koepka.

Koepka shared the second-round lead at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, before he started to lag with a stretch of pars on the back nine. Then, just as he did on Thursday, a poor tee shot led to a poor score at the 290-yard 14th.

In Round 1, Koepka hit his tee shot right and had to take a penalty stroke and re-tee on his way to double bogey. In Round 2, he overcompensated with a pull-hook into thick, waist-high grass. Koepka was able to find his ball and hack out over the green. He made bogey this time and it derailed his day.

Full-field scores from the Sentry Tournament of Champions

Unlike Thursday, when Koepka was able to rebound from his miscue at No. 14 with three birdies coming home, he only made one more on Friday.

“Well, I played the front nine really well. Kind of stalled out on the back nine, which was a little bit disappointing,” Koepka said. “You know, one bad tee shot and for some reason I felt like I just couldn’t get putts to the hole on the back.”

Koepka finished the day with a 5-under 68 to settle at 10 under par, seven off the lead. It was a disappointing turn for Koepka, literally. He made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine in Round 2 to co-lead at 10 under. He then made one birdie, one bogey and seven pars on the inward half.

“Just gotta make a few more putts,” he said. “Gotta figure out whatever that hole is, 14? Playing it in 3 over is a little disappointing. But, you know, I’m not going to lay up there. I have to be honest. I just gotta hit a good shot.”

Koepka is 3 over par through two days at the 14th. It’s the only hole on which he’s dropped a shot.