Brooks Koepka has officially withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open after a hand injury made it nearly impossible for him to grip his golf club during the tournament’s third round.
The 36-year-old five-time major champion announced his withdrawal Sunday morning from the event held in Caledon, Ontario. The decision came after he battled through a difficult 2-over-par 72 on Saturday, during which he was seen receiving medical treatment on the 11th tee box at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North Course.
Koepka described the frustrating situation with his grip. “Yeah, I don’t know what it is. I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” he said.
He added that the problem persisted throughout the day. “So the club is kind of just, my fingers would come loose, it was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”
What made the injury especially puzzling was that Koepka felt completely healthy during his warm-up. “Yeah, the whole warm-up, I felt fine, I was absolutely good,” he explained. “Then got to the range and went to grip the club and I just couldn’t even grip it.”
“So it lasted — it was all day. Felt better the last few holes. I don’t know if that’s just the meds kicked in or what it is. But hopefully we’ll figure it out now,” he continued.
Koepka had entered Saturday’s round in strong form, having posted rounds of 64 and 68 to open the tournament.
The injury comes at a particularly critical time — the U.S. Open tees off next week at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. That course holds special significance for Koepka, as it was the site of his second consecutive U.S. Open title back in 2018.
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January after spending more than three years competing with LIV Golf. While he has finished in the top 20 in six events this season, his last victory in a standard PGA Tour event dates back to the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.
