The hand injury that forced Brooks Koepka out of last week's RBC Canadian Open is not quite 100% again, but "good enough" for him to fancy his chances of repeating his US Open success at Shinnecock Hills again.
Koepka claimed the 2018 US Open title at the Long Island venue and, despite suffering a hand injury just before his return, feels his game is as good now as it was then - during his famous period of Major dominance.
The five-time Major champion has been in sparkling form with his iron play all season, and after continually struggling with the putter looked to have sorted it out in Toronto until a nerve problem in his hand forced him out of the tournament.
Koepka played nine holes at Shinnecock Hills on Tuesday and although his grip strength is still not back to normal, he says his injury is "getting better day by day" and is looking forward to the week.
Koepka has been having physio on what he says is "the ulnar nerve, just flared up a little bit" in Toronto and impared his ability to grip the club with a numbing sensation in his ring and pinkie finger.
"Excited to be able to hold a golf club again," said Koepka as he spoke to the media at Shinnecock Hills. "I don't think the grip strength is a hundred percent, but it's good enough.
"It's fine. There's no pain. There's absolutely no pain, which is kind of the weirdest part of this whole thing.
"I'd almost prefer there was a little bit of pain. It would make sense why this hurts and that doesn't. It just feels like you hit your funny bone all the time."
Brooks Koepka gives an update on his hand injury: "It's getting better day by day. I would say yesterday was pretty much how it was Sunday, but today there was quite a bit of improvement. I don't think I would have gone out and played if it wasn't."I think it's just the ulnar… pic.twitter.com/87DFY86hsuJune 16, 2026
Koepka described how the injury impacted his swing, but that he has full movement back now, if not with full grip strength again.
"The movement's fine. I can do everything," he said. "It's literally just my ring finger and pinkie finger were just kind of - at the transition coming down, they would come off. It felt like they were coming off the golf club, but they were just very weak.
"Then as soon as impact would come with the turf interaction, it felt like it was fully off."
Koepka playing 'just as good' as 2018
Koepka managed to navigate one of the toughest US Open tests at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 when at the very top of his powers.
His iron play has been elite this season but his putting was poor, until he hit his stride in Canada with a superb display on the greens that saw him ranked No.1 in the field after two rounds.
A change of flat sticks, switching to a mallet at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson finally paid off in Canada after relentless practice at home and a change in mental approach.
And if Koepka can replicate that putting display at Shinnecock, then he might just have a chance of back-to-back victories at the venue - as long as his injury holds.
"I feel just as good," he said when asked about his game compared to 2018. "I think ball striking is even better than what it's been. Putting, I had a great week putting last week. I'm excited for the challenge.
"This course can be quite difficult. You're going to have to be creative around this place and really, really work on your angles coming in. I'm excited about it, and the game feels good."
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