Koepka rueful after late bid to gatecrash Open party

Brooks Koepka cut a frustrated figure after he tamed Royal St George's with a scorching final-round 65 on Sunday to make a late bid to win his first Open Championship title.

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The American eagled the par-five seventh and picked up three birdies in a flawless round to get to eight under par but he was in a rueful mood as he reflected on his disappointing third-round 72.

"Definitely a missed opportunity," Koepka told reporters. "Didn't play good enough Saturday. Doesn't really matter what I finished today. I didn't have a chance to win. That's disappointing."

Koepka, a four-times major champion, created chances to go lower over the closing stretch but failed to convert any, leaving himself four shots behind the leader.

The 31-year-old enjoyed the unique challenges presented by the Open.

"I like coming over here and playing links golf," Koepka said. "It's always a bunch of fun, and I've always said that it's the one tournament a year where the fans actually know what a good shot is."

Koepka was unhappy with his putting in the first three rounds and decided on a change of tactic.

"All week except for today I felt like I struggled getting the ball to the hole," he said. "Today I told myself no matter what I was going to get it to the hole. Didn't care if I three-putted, but the ball was going to get to the hole."