Brooks Koepka’s Masters Hopes Dashed in Disastrous 18th Hole

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Brooks Koepka‘s quest for a weekend finish at the 2025 Masters ended abruptly on the 18th hole after a series of costly mistakes on April 11.

The five-time major champion faced pressure after shooting a two-over 74 in the opening round, placing him in a precarious position heading into the second round. Koepka initially regained his footing, quickly leveling par by making birdies at Nos. 1 and 4, but bogeys at holes 5 and 6 brought him back to square one.

After playing the first 14 holes at even par, Koepka hovered around the cut line, which fluctuated between one and two over par. A pivotal moment came on the par-5 15th hole, where Koepka drove the ball perfectly and then stuck his approach to three feet for an easy eagle, briefly lifting him above the cut line.

However, the momentum swiftly shifted. Despite making par on the 16th, a bogey on 17 pushed him back to one over, positioning him precariously as the cut line loomed close. With a birdie needed on the 18th for assured passage into the weekend rounds, the pressure surged.

Koepka’s tee shot on 18 went left into the trees, resulting in an unplayable lie. After a retee into the fairway, he hit his fourth shot pin high, but a challenging chip left him with a daunting 12-foot putt for double bogey. Tragically, he missed that, along with a short four-footer on the comeback, finishing with a quadruple bogey eight and marking his first missed cut in a major championship since 2022.

Koepka was not the only former champion to struggle on the 18th. Dustin Johnson, also at one over, faced a similar fate. After hitting into the trees, he punched out into the fairway, but his third shot went over the back of the green. Johnson’s missed five-foot putt for bogey resulted in a double bogey, placing him at three over and also on the wrong side of the cut line.

Additional past champions, including Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia, faced early struggles at Augusta National and similarly will not continue into the weekend.

On a contrasting note, Justin Rose solidified his lead as he backed up his first-round 65 with a one-under 71, putting him at eight under for the tournament, one stroke ahead of his nearest competitor and two ahead of Rory McIlroy.