Brooks Koepkahas not exactly been lost in the wilderness since returning to the PGA Tour in 2026. In fact, in several parts of the game, he has still looked very much like the Brooks Koepka who won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens.
Consider these numbers: Before last week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Koepka ranked third on Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green and eighth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. He was also 12th in scoring average and 29th in driving distance.
The problems started when he got onto the greens.
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Koepka arrived at TPC Craig Ranch ranked 141st in Strokes Gained: Putting, losing nearly half a stroke per round to the field with the putter. He also ranked 158th in one-putt percentage, 156th in putts per round and 158th in putting inside 10 feet.
All of that meant his elite ballstriking was being wasted, and for one of the best major championship performers of his generation, those numbers were startling.
So, Koepka made another putter switch.
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Before the start of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, he put a Scotty Cameron Fastback 1.5 into play. Koepka’s Fastback 1.5 is a compact mallet with a slant-neck hosel that creates more toe hang and allows the face to rotate more naturally through impact instead of resisting rotation. The design appears to better match the way Koepka wants the putter to release during the stroke.
The results were immediate.
Koepka finished the week 33rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting at 0.36 strokes per round after entering the tournament at -0.471 for the season. He also improved to 23rd in putts per round and 25th in one-putt percentage for the week.
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The improvement was especially noticeable on shorter putts and mid-range opportunities. Before the event, Koepka ranked 158th on putts from 10 feet and closer, converting just under 85 percent of them. At TPC Craig Ranch, he made nearly 90 percent of those putts, converted every 4-footer he faced and ranked fifth in the field from 15-20 feet.
One week does not erase months of struggles, but it did suggest that Koepka may have finally found a setup that better matches the way he wants the putter to move through impact. And if he can simply stop giving away strokes on the greens, Koepka suddenly starts looking a lot more dangerous heading toward the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in three weeks.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek:Brooks Koepka Scotty Cameron putter switch boosts putting