Former USF Great Koepka's Golf Career Still Going Strong
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 3, 2020 –
Chase Koepka helped USF men's golf set a standard of excellence during his storied career as a Bull from 2012-16.
Fast-forward to today and the three-time All-American is still making the highly successful program proud on the pro golf stage.
Bulls Nation was buzzing about Koepka on social media back on Sunday, July 26 after he fired a bogey-free 63 in the final round of the PGA TOUR's 3M Open. Collecting eight birdies on the final day, Koepka skyrocketed up the leaderboard to a tie for 26
th place at 11-under.
"It's just awesome to be able to represent USF and show everybody what being a Bull is all about," said Koepka during a recent
"Kelly's Conversations" appearance.
Fresh off his electric PGA TOUR event performance, Koepka built more momentum in Omaha, Neb., this past weekend at the Korn Ferry Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship. Powered by two rounds of 2-under 69, Koepka finished the event at 3-under overall.
The past two weekends showed Koepka has a bright future in a sport that presented him with an opportunity to break notable records as a Bull.
After shining for Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., Koepka saw lots of potential in an up-and-coming USF men's golf program in Tampa.
"It couldn't have worked out any better for me, honestly. Coming in, I got to play right away," he said. "It really helped me get the confidence that I could compete at a high level in the collegiate ranks once I got here."
Koepka became an instant hit in the process, earning both Big East Freshman and Player of the Year honors in the spring of 2013. More importantly to Koepka, he was a key contributor for USF's conference tournament title team that spring.
"That week kind of stuck out the most to me over my career on how much of a change that the program was seeing," he said "… Mentally, you can be locked in and have the most confidence but in a team aspect, you need to have everybody switched on and to have that same mental toughness out there. I think that's right when the whole program kind of switched over when we won that first championship."
Once head coach
Steve Bradley took the helm of the program, Koepka helped the Bulls capture two more league titles in his final two collegiate seasons at The American Men's Golf Championship (2015-16).
"Winning those conferences really helped solidify us," said Koepka, who enjoyed watching USF complete its AAC four-peat the following two seasons.
Sustained success continued for the Bulls after they broke new program ground by making the match play quarterfinals at the 2015 NCAA Championship and USF competed for it all again at the end of Koepka's senior season. Once his final round as a Bull was in the books, Koepka held school records that still stand with four tournament victories and a career scoring average of 71.53.
"He was a great player for us here. He continues to be a good ambassador for us, which I think is important," Bradley said. "I know when he Monday qualified (about a month) ago, he was wearing a USF golf shirt when he did it. That, to me, means a lot. He's proud of where he went to school and I think that's great."
Bradley was speaking of Koepka's pro career that's started to really take off since he returned to the United States. Koepka spent much of the past three years overseas on the Challenge and European Tours after earning his marketing degree from USF in spring 2016.
"He's done some things that maybe a whole lot of people wouldn't have the courage to do. Him going out on his own and figuring it out, he was willing to take a chance on himself," Bradley said. "Obviously, he's starting to play better. I think that comes with maturity, with time."
During, and especially after his European experience, Koepka has kept making a name for himself at pro golf tournaments in his home country. That's an impressive feat in itself, considering his older brother, Brooks, is a four-time major champion who is one of the top-ranked PGA TOUR players in the world.
"I'm just proud of (Chase)," Bradley said. "I think he's doing a good of trying to forge his own path. He obviously has a sibling who is extremely great at his craft."
Bradley celebrates each time Koepka makes the cut at PGA TOUR events, which is now at a stellar 5-for-7 success rate in starts.
Koepka made a great impression in his latest PGA TOUR outing by collecting eight birdies and carding an 8-under 63 in the final round of the 3M Open. Tying for 26
th place at 11-under in a super-talented field, Koepka also tied for 14
th on the stat sheet with 21 total birdies.
"That was awesome and a big confidence booster for me going forward, showing that I can compete at the highest level in the game," he said.
In an effort to earn a full-time spot in the PGA TOUR, Koepka is embracing each opportunity he gets on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. Sunday's result, a 3-under overall effort, placed him just two shots outside the top 25 at the Pinnacle Bank Championship.
"If you're playing well, golf really does reward you. I like the way the Korn Ferry Tour has kind of set a standard," Koepka said. "If you have a couple good weeks, you can turn it into a full card and potentially a PGA TOUR card. Being back in the United States is where I want to be, and competing out on the PGA TOUR."
Time will tell what the future holds for one of the most accomplished players in any era of USF men's golf history. One thing that's certain for Koepka is Bradley and the Bulls will be following every step of his pro golf journey.
"It's almost like when I get done and I have a good round, I know there's a text coming from Steve within a few hours. Steve does a really good job following along with the careers of all the past players he's been able to coach," Koepka said. "I think that's just awesome. I think that just shows the family unit that we have at USF, and especially for our golf team - how tight-knit of a family and community that we are."
Learn more about Koepka's career as a Bull and golf pro by listening to his recent conversation with Vice President of Athletics
Michael Kelly below.
About USF Men's Golf
USF men's golf captured four consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship titles in wire-to-wire fashion prior to 2019 and has earned seven straight trips to NCAA Regionals. The program is led by Steve Bradley, who has been named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times. Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.
