Koepka confident he can 3-peat: Harding Park 'plays into my hands'

Brooks Koepka is confident he can become the first player to win three consecutive PGA Championships since 1927 at a venue he believes rewards his biggest weapon - power.

"I'm excited. This is a big-boy golf course." Koepka said of TPC Harding Park on Tuesday. "You've got to hit it straight and put it in the fairway. It's going to be quite long. I think it kind of plays into my hands."

Koepka outdueled Tiger Woods at Bellerive Country Club in 2018 for his second major victory that season. Last year, he outlasted the field at Bethpage Black - a course that also rewarded his world-class driving ability.

Though the absence of fans means TPC Harding Park won't resemble the atmospheres of his previous triumphs, Koepka isn't worried about his ability to treat the tournament as a major.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious it's a major when you pull in," he said. He added: "It's a big-boy golf course. Tough place. Tough setup. I mean, I know it, so that's all that matters."

An injured knee had hindered Koepka prior to his runner-up showing last week in Memphis, where he had a great chance to defend his WGC-FedEx St. Jude title. Despite those previous mediocre performances, his championship mindset remains intact.

"The way the golf course sets up eliminates pretty much half the guys, and then from there, you know, half of those guys probably won't play well," he said, reiterating his stance from last season.

He continued: "I feel like mentally, I can beat them - the other half - so you've probably got 10 guys. That's the way I see it. If I can do what I'm supposed to, then yeah, I should (win)."