Sawt Falasteen - LIV's Koepka grabs share of Masters lead

The four-time major champion fired his best of 25 career rounds at Augusta National, a seven-under par 65, to match Norway's Viktor Hovland and Spain's Jon Rahm atop the leaderboard.

"Got off to a good start," Koepka said. "Just piggybacked off that momentum and very happy the way I played. Drove the ball really nicely."

Koepka comes off a victory in LIV's Orlando event last week and stands as the best hope for a Masters triumph from the upstart Saudi-backed series that set off chaos in elite golf.

"It was nice to win last week, but just try to build off that momentum," Koepka said. "There's quite a few big events. We've got a lot of golf to play over the next three months. It would be a good time to start peaking."

Any LIV player wearing a green jacket would be a nightmare scenario for the PGA Tour, which saw Koepka and other stars join LIV last year for record $25 million purses and 54-hole events despite issues over Saudi Arabia human rights issues.

The prospect of LIV players celebrating by the 18th green was raised by the tour's CEO Greg Norman while Cameron Smith, the British Open champion said there was a point to prove.

"There's a lot of chatter about these guys don't play real golf, these guys don't play real golf courses... I just think we need a good, strong finish," said Smith, who shot 70.

Koepka's Masters qualification off his 2019 PGA Championship ends next year, but he doesn't ponder such ideas with a major title at stake.

"If you win, you're fine," Koepka said. "Play well this week, takes care of a lot of things."

Koepka underwent right knee surgery in March 2021 on a shattered kneecap and damaged ligaments. He missed the cut at the Masters weeks later but shared second in May at the PGA Championship and fourth in June at the US Open.

"It was definitely frustrating. You feel like you're never going to get healthy," Koepka said. "But once you feel good, everything changes."

The 32-year-old American feels very good after the hardest work of his life in rehabilitation.

"If your body won't allow you to do the things you want it's frustrating. You create a lot of bad habits and then try to work out of the unhealthiness," Koepka said. "When you break free, it's kind of nice."

- 'Starting to click now' -

Koepka said LIV's limited schedule had allowed him to play and recover.

"It definitely helped," Koepka said. "Maybe end of December I was like, everything is starting to click now, being able to bend my knee fully."

World number 118 Koepka, who goes off in the fifth group Friday morning, hopes to finish before an expected afternoon storm.

"That's probably the biggest advantage I've got going for me right now," Koepka said.

Koepka birdied four of the first eight holes and the par-3 12th, took his lone bogey at the par-5 13th and closed with birdies at the par-5 15th plus 17 and 18.

The 2017 and 2018 US Open and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship winner, had seven other top-seven major finishes from 2019-2021, including a 2019 Masters runner-up effort behind Tiger Woods.

Whether it's LIV or PGA, if it's not a major, it's not the same for him.

"There's definitely a difference," Koepka said. "When we land at a major I get kind of quiet. I'm very focused, disciplined, driven.

"It's full focus on... trying to walk out of here with a green jacket."

H.Jarrar--SF-PST