Brooks Koepka trying to chase down Rory McIlroy for world No. 1

Brooks Koepka is aiming to chase down Rory McIlroy for the No. 1 world golf ranking.

Koepka reached No. 1 in the world in October 2018 and held that spot for 47 weeks before losing it. McIlroy is the current No. 1, with Jon Rahm behind him, followed by Koepka. Koepka has his eyes on the spot.

“Yeah, I’ve got eyes on Rory [McIlroy]”, Koepka said Wednesday via Sky Sports. “That’s the goal, to get back to No. 1 in the world. That’s the whole point of playing is to be the best.

“If I do what I’m supposed to do, if I take care of my business, then I don’t see any reason why I couldn’t get back to that.”

Koepka hurt his knee late last year, which caused him to miss three months. The break in the golf season due to the coronavirus was “beneficial” to his health, he says, and allowed him to recover.

The 30-year-old from West Palm Beach, Fla. has burst onto the scene the last three years and dominated. He won the US Open in 2017 and 2018 and the PGA Championship in 2018 and 2019. Last year, he finished no lower than tied for fourth in any of the majors.

Both Koepka and McIlroy shot a -2 in the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, tying them for 39th.