PGA leader Koepka gets chance to ease Masters’ pain

ROCHESTER—Brooks

Koepka blamed himself for “choking” away the Masters last month after entering the final day with a four-stroke lead and 30 holes to play.

The four-time major winner, who squandered that lead and lost the green jacket to world number one Jon Rahm, will have his chance at redemption on Sunday at the PGA Championship.

Koepka fired a four-under par 66 for the second consecutive day on Saturday at Oak Hill to stand on sixunder 204 for 54 holes, one stroke ahead of Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Canada’s Corey Conners.

The American star, among those who departed the PGA Tour for the Saudi-financed LIV Golf League, said the hard-earned lessons of Augusta have helped him play well this week.

“I think that was a big thing for me,” said Koepka, who acknowledged earlier this week that he “choked” at the Masters.

“Learning what I learned at Augusta kind of helped today. I won’t do it again the rest of my career. That doesn’t mean that you can’t go play bad. You can play good, you’ll play bad, but I’ll never have that mindset or that won’t ever be the reason.”

Koepka has kept the lessons to himself but it clearly will change how he handles a lead in the final round as he chases his first major title since 2019 and his first since a major right knee operation in 2021.

Winning his first major since missing much of the past two years would be sweet, Koepka said.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “To win one would be fantastic. Just got to go out and go play good tomorrow.”

Koepka would join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the only players with five major titles since 1990. He would have three PGA Championship triumphs, a career mark in stroke play exceeded only by Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

Koepka, a winner in last month’s LIV event at Orlando, has worked hard on conditioning in his comeback from knee surgery.

“I thought all I had to do was be healthy,” he said. “But having an off-season to bust mybutt and be in the gym every day, working on different recovery, it has been really good.

“Now it starts to look like a real knee, or as good as it’s going to look. I’m super pleased with it.”

Bacolod, Nazareth U clinch seats in semifinals

BACOLOD Tay Tung High School and National U-Nazareth School extended their perfect runs with hard-earned victories against gritty counterparts to barge into the Final Four of the 2023 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League Sunday at the San Andres Gym in Manila.

Bacolod needed everything it got to tame University of Santo Tomas, 25-22, 25-23, as NU-NS hacked out a 25-15-25-18 win over Far Eastern U-Diliman in the first set of the quarterfinal pairings.

Both squads were dominant in the sweep of their respective groups but met strong resistance this time in the knockout playoffs of the 16-team GVIL backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Potato Corner, Peri-Peri and R&B Tea with the City of Manila as government cooperation partner.

Bacolod spikers encountered the bigger challenge as they trailed in both sets against the raging Junior Golden Tigresses before showing steely resolve behind Alexia Marie Montoro’s 11 points.

Jothea Marie Ramos and Mary Bontia contributed nine markers each as Bacolod, which topped Pool B, erased a 10-16 deficit in the second set to fend off UST, the No. 2 seed from Pool D.

“Medyo off kami sa simula. Off ‘yung receive, off ‘yung passing pati ‘yung blocking. Buti nakabawi kami sa huli,” said Bacolod mentor Ian Macariola, whose wards trounced Adamson, Kings Montessori School and Lyceum Cavite in the group play.

Earlier, Yesha Noceja and Celine Marsh hammered 12 and 10 points, respectively, as the Lady Bullpups shrugged off a shaky start to live up to expectations so far as the team to beat in the tourney also powered by Mikasa, Team Rebel Sports, Toby’s Sports, Genius Sports and SM Tickets.

Kianne Louise Olango, who spearheaded their blowout wins in Pool A against University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, La Salle Lipa and Gracel Christian College Foundation, added six for the reigning UAAP juniors champion.

“Semis na kami pero meron pa kaming mga kulang. Hindi pa kami ganoon ka-fluid, lalo na pagdating ng mga second set. Sa first, medyo okay na pero sa second, may hinahanap pa kami,” said NU-NS coach coach Vilet PonceDe Leon.

NU-NS will face the winner between Pool C leader California Academy and Pool B second seed Adamson while Bacolod clashes against either Pool D pacer Naga College Foundation or Pool A’s No. 2 team in La Salle Lipa.

The said four teams were still playing as of press time in their own quarterfinal duels to complete the Final Four cast.

All games of Shakey’s GVIL, in partnership with Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc., (ACES), will be broadcasted live and on-demand through all social media platforms courtesy of Plus Network with CNN Philippines, Solar Sports and Tap Sports as TV partners.