Brooks Koepka admits putting flaw as victory slips away at Farmers Insurance Open

Brooks Koepka has been blunt about where things are going wrong at his first PGA Tour start of the season. Despite making the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open, Koepka acknowledged that poor putting has kept him far from contention. After rounds of 73-68-73, he barely cleared the cut and found himself well down the leaderboard, knowing that a win was already out of reach. While many players blamed Torrey Pines’ tricky greens, Koepka made it clear the issue was not the course but his own execution.Speaking after the third round, Koepka admitted his putting was “all over the place.” He pointed to several short misses and said confidence vanished quickly once mistakes piled up. His frustration was summed up by a dry remark when asked about leaving the greens behind, joking that it “can’t get worse.” The honesty highlighted how aware he is of a weakness that has repeatedly hurt him at this event.The numbers underline Koepka’s concerns. Among players who reached the weekend, he ranked near the bottom in strokes gained putting, losing more than six shots to the field. One moment captured his struggles perfectly: he stood 55 feet away, looking at a possible eagle, but walked off with a bogey after a costly three-putt from inside four feet. Another hole saw him miss a short putt, which led to a double bogey and erased any momentum.Koepka’s issues are not new at Torrey Pines. In his last two appearances before this year, he missed the cut both times. Raised on Bermuda grass in Florida, he has often said he feels uncomfortable on poa annua greens, which tend to grow bumpier as the day goes on. While he refuses to use that as an excuse, he admitted that missing a few early putts quickly drains confidence.Other top players have echoed similar complaints about poa greens, including Tiger Woods in past editions of this tournament. Data also supports the frustration, showing lower make rates on short putts for players teeing off later in the day. For Koepka, that reality has again proven costly. Although a win is no longer possible this week, Koepka sees value in grinding through four rounds. With the WM Phoenix Open ahead, fixing his putting remains the clear priority if he hopes to contend again.