The next player deserving of a mention among those poised to loom large in 2015 is the 24-year-old Brooks Koepka. He stands apart from his US counterparts in that he, like his long-time friend and sparring partner, Peter Uilhein, is an American who opted to begin his professional career on the European Challenge Tour.
Koepka won three tournaments on this secondary circuit in 2013 to graduate to the full European Tour and he then finished fourth in last year’s US Open to win himself a card on the PGA circuit.
Like Willett, he signed off in style in 2014, handing in a last-round 65 in Turkey to win by a shot from Ian Poulter. “I’d been knocking at the door [on both sides of the Atlantic] and on each of those occasions I learned something,” he said.
The two-tour schedule on which Koepka has his heart set for 2015 may well ask too much of the young man but for the moment he is bursting with eager anticipation.
And who, given his heady combination of youth and massive hitting, would not be at this point in his career?
Nothing, perhaps, tells more about Koepka’s length and strength than a conversation which was overheard on the tee – yes, on the tee – of the 503-yard fourth at Crans-sur-Sierre on a practice day prior to the 2013 Omega European Masters.
Koepka to Uilhein: "Do you think we can reach the green today?"
"I suppose we might,” returned Uilhein, noting that they had the wind at their backs and that they would be landing on the downslope.
Uilhein’s drive finished 25 yards short of the putting surface, with Koepka’s but ten yards away.
Obviously, altitude came into it - Crans-sur-Sierre is 4,920 feet about sea level -but even so ...
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