Koepka easily handles Mickelson, but teammates let him down in first day of LIV team championship
DORAL — Phil Mickelson adjusted his sunglasses that were on his cap and not his face. He wiped the sweat from his brow. He lined up his putt from behind the ball, then behind the hole. He checked out the slopes from each side.
Finally, he got around to hitting the putt.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka was leaning on his putter, looking relaxed with a grin on his face.
And that body language never really changed throughout the afternoon Friday for the Jupiter resident during his match with Mickelson at the LIV Team Championship at Doral. Perhaps because Mickelson slow-playing most shots never bothered Koepka, who prefers a much faster pace.
And in the end, Koepka really never was threatened with the exception of a two-hole hot streak by Mickelson on the front nine that only stretched out the inevitable outcome.
Still, Koepka made quick work of Mickelson, winning 6 and 4, in a match that paired the two LIV golfers who have the most major championships. Mickelson's six majors are one more than Koepka's total.
While Koepka did his job, the rest of his Smash GC let him down and their head-to-head with Mickelson's HyFlyers GC. Smash's Jason Kokrak lost to HyFlyers' Cameron Tringale, 2 and 1. Smash's Chase Koepka and Matthew Wolff were defeated by HyFlyers' James Piot and Brendan Steele, 1 up, in their foursomes match.
"I'm really proud of my team and the effort they made down the stretch," Mickelson said. "I've got a lot of work to do on my game overnight."
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HyFlyers advanced to Saturday's semifinals. They will face Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces, meaning Mickelson now faces Johnson in match play.
"It's part of the fun of it," Mickelson said about facing two of the best players in the world. "It's a great opportunity. It's a great challenge. I look forward to it."
Smash will play again Sunday, competing with the other first-round losers for the Nos. 9-12 spots.
Koepka, who finished third in LIV's seasonlong individual standings, won the first two holes and was 3 up after four as Mickelson's putter failed him early on, leaving many putts short.
"My speed was off a little bit," Mickelson said. "I made a couple of putts. I was three down through four, came back with birdies on five and six to get close, and followed it with a bogey from the middle of the fairway on seven.
"I just can't make those mistakes against a guy like Brooks or a guy like DJ. I have to clean that up. It doesn't feel far off."
Mickelson, 39th in the points standings, made that brief charge on the fifth and sixth holes, but Koepka regained control by taking four of the next five holes.
The other matchups on Saturday are Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers vs. Martin Kaymer's Cleeks, Joaquin Niemann's Torque vs. Louis Oosthuizen's Stinger and Bubba Watson's RangeGoats vs. Sergio Garcia's Fireballs.
LIV Team Championship
Through Sunday, Trump National Doral
1 p.m.,, Saturday and Sunday, CW/WTVX
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brooks Koepka tops Phil Mickelson at LIV team championship but Mickelson team advances
