Hopes that Brooks Koepka will be one to watch at The Masters next month seemed to be dealt a blow when he missed the cut at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week.
Koepka had been heading in the right direction at a rapid rate after a slow start to life back on the PGA Tour. A top 15 finish at The Players Championship was particularly encouraging.
With that, it was difficult to not be left disappointed after his showing at Memorial Park. The 35-year-old missed his second cut of the season after finding himself at four over par through two rounds in Houston.
However, Koepka is certainly one player who will be able to use the result positively.
Brooks Koepka’s Masters hopes alive despite another missed cut
There has arguably been no player on any tour over the last decade who has been better at raising their game for the majors.
Five of Brooks Koepka‘s nine PGA Tour victories have come in the four biggest events of the year.
In 20 major appearances between 2016 and 2021, Koepka registered four wins, 13 top 10 finishes, and just one missed cut.
And just when it seemed that his career at the very highest level was winding down, Koepka began the 2023 season by finishing tied for second at The Masters before winning the PGA Championship.
So Koepka should still be able to put his form to one side and contend at Augusta National.
The missed cut could also be a wake-up call for Koepka.
How Brooks Koepka responded to missing the cut at the WM Phoenix Open this season
It was slightly concerning when Koepka kicked off his PGA Tour season with a finish outside the top 50 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a missed cut at the WM Phoenix Open.
Given that he cannot be invited to signature events this year, Koepka had time to go away and work on his game. He switched to a mallet putter, while his iron game seemingly got even better.
Koepka went into the Houston Open in first place on the PGA Tour for strokes gained approach.
And the results improved considerably. Koepka did not finish outside the top 18 across the Cognizant Classic, The Players, and the Valspar Championship.
If he reacts to this latest setback in the same way, then he is almost certainly going to be a real threat at the first major of the year.
Koepka is probably not one of the heavy favourites to win The Masters. He missed three major cuts in 2025, while he has not been in serious contention to win any event for some time.
But no-one should fall into the trap of writing Koepka off simply because of his most recent result.
If anything, it could make him even more of a threat.
