Hilary Swift for The New York Times
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka’s heart rate, he said Saturday night, probably would not vary much whether he was sitting on the couch watching the 101st P.G.A. Championship or sizing up a putt on Bethpage Black’s 72nd green to win it.
“I’d say I’m pretty flatlined most of the time,” he said.
Fast forward to dusk on Sunday. Koepka’s face was flush with anxiety as he stood on the par-3 14th green studying his fourth consecutive bogey putt. Poised to become the first man to hold back-to-back titles in two majors simultaneously, Koepka suddenly was staring at a more ignominious piece of history: He was in danger of becoming the first player to blow a seven-stroke, final-day lead in any PGA Tour event, much less a major.