Brooks Koepka withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday before the final round because of a hand injury, ending a week in which he had been near the top of the board at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
The timing mattered because Koepka had been tied for the lead after an opening-round 64 and stayed in the mix with a second-round 68. Instead, his final chance to contend disappeared just before tee time, turning a good week into a sudden exit.
Koepka, a nine-time PGA TOUR winner, said the problem showed up when he tried to grip the club with his ring finger and pinkie finger. “I don’t know what it is,” he said, adding that the club felt like it was slipping loose and that his hand went numb. He said he could not even hold the club properly when he got to the range.
That is what makes the withdrawal harder to explain. Koepka said the whole warm-up felt fine and that he was “absolutely good” before he got to the range, then said the issue lasted all day and that he felt better over the last few holes. Even so, he decided not to play the final round on Sunday, suggesting the problem was serious enough to outweigh whatever improvement he felt late.
The immediate concern now is next week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where Koepka’s status remains unclear. That matters because he has won two U.S. Open titles, including his 2018 victory, and this withdrawal leaves him with little time to prove the hand is sound. For now, the week that began with contention ended with uncertainty.
