Butch Harmon’s son plays a part in Brooks Koepka’s US Open win

By Brian Hurlburt Special to the Review-Journal

8 years ago

Brooks Koepka, right, is congratulated by caddie Ricky Elliot after the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Brooks Koepka hits from the second tee during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Brooks Koepka hits from the 15th tee during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Brooks Koepka lines up a putt on the 16th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Brooks Koepka waits to putt on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Brooks Koepka shakes hands with Tommy Fleetwood, of England, on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Brooks Koepka poses with the winning trophy after the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. (Chris Carlson/AP)

The Harmon name was in the news again last weekend at the U.S. Open.

Only this time it wasn’t Butch Harmon, the Las Vegas resident and top teaching professional.

Claude Harmon III, Butch’s son, is the swing coach for Brooks Koepka, who finished at 16 under par to win the Open by four strokes, tying Rory McIlroy’s tournament record for most shots under par.

Claude Harmon operates a Butch Harmon school facility at the Floridian Country Club in Palm City, Florida. In the late 1990s, he worked at his father’s school at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson. He’s also a regular contributor for Golf Channel and is ranked by Golf Digest as a top 100 teaching professional.

Butch Harmon walked with Koepka and Claude Harmon during a practice round at Erin Hills Golf Club in Wisconsin. The elder Harmon predicted in a Golf Digest story that Koepka and Rickie Fowler, who finished fifth, would have great weeks. Butch Harmon is Fowler’s swing coach.

“(Koepka) is going to win a major someday,” Butch Harmon said. “Is it going to be this week? It could be, but his game is the best I’ve ever seen him play.

“The thing I like about Fowler and Koepka is they putt really well and their short games are really good around the greens.”

Hoffman records best finish

Former UNLV All-American Charley Hoffman led the U.S. Open several times, but a triple bogey on the eighth hole in the final round ended his chances of winning his first major. He took eighth, his best finish in a major.

Topgolf Tour hits Las Vegas

Amateurs across America and the United Kingdom are competing like pros in a 20-city Topgolf Tour this summer and fall. The regular Las Vegas tour event is scheduled for July 9.

The winning two-person team from each region earns a trip to Las Vegas for the Topgolf Tour Championship on Oct. 14 and 15, with first place worth $50,000. The tour was established in 2016.

Wise secures PGA Tour card

New Las Vegas resident Aaron Wise won the Web.com Tour Air Capital Classic and has secured his official PGA Tour card for next season.

Aussie duo win father/son event

Lee and Dylan Martin, who recently moved to Las Vegas from Australia, won the net division of the SNGA Father and Son Classic last week at Las Vegas National. Dylan will be a senior at Faith Lutheran High School. Tyler and Brevin Barlow won the Callaway division. Brevin played last season for the Bob Miller Middle School golf team, which won the city championship.

Legacy champs

Nick Jurado and Jim Foss recently won the Legacy Golf Club member-member tournament.

Amateur blitzes Cactus Tour pro field

Sirene Blair, an amateur from South Jordan, Utah, won the Cactus Tour event last week at Legacy by nine shots. Blair shot rounds of 74-65-68 to finish at 9 under and defeat a field of mini-tour pros and top amateurs. Las Vegas resident Alexandra Kaui tied for fourth.

Deal of the week

Play Eagle Crest, Palm Valley or Highland Falls at Golf Summerlin and get a same-day replay for $15.

Future stars on, off course

— Veronica Joels, who will be a senior at The Meadows and is being recruited by UNLV, won the Azahara Munoz AJGA Championship last week at the Arizona State Karsten Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. Joels works with swing coach Mario Bevilaqua at TPC Summerlin.

— Austin Ancell won the boys high school division and McKenzi Hall the girls division at the Recruit Look Tour Summerlin Amateur.

The golf notebook appears Thursdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider on Twitter.