Just imagine what Koepka could do if he really brings it at Bethpage Black.
"This probably sounds bad," Koepka said, "but today was a battle. I didn't strike it that good. The way I hung in there today and battled it, I think that was probably more impressive than yesterday, not having your 'A' game but still being able to shoot a great score."
Koepka was at 12-under 128, breaking by two shots the record shared at all four majors, most recently by Gary Woodland in the PGA Championship last year at Bellerive.
The dominance should have looked familiar to the throaty gallery on this working man's public course.
Bethpage Black first hosted a major in the 2002 U.S. Open, when Tiger Woods overpowered the course and the field in a wire-to-wire victory.
This time, Woods was merely along for the ride, and it was a short one.
A month after his Masters victory that made him the betting favorite at the PGA Championship, Woods started the back nine with three straight bogeys and never recovered, shooting a 73 to miss the cut for the ninth time in a major. Kiwi Ryan Fox also missed the cut, with rounds of 78 and 70.
"I've enjoyed being the Masters champion again, and the PGA was a quick turnaround," Woods said. "And unfortunately, I just didn't play well. As I said, I didn't do all the little things I need to do correctly to post good scores and put myself in position to shoot good scores."
Koepka did everything right, no matter how it felt to him.
Spieth was hopeful of being in contention at a major for the first time since the British Open last summer, and he made key putts for par and a 40-foot birdie putt toward the end of his 66 to get within two shots before Koepka teed off in the afternoon. It was close enough — at the time, anyway — for Spieth to get queried about the missing piece of a career Grand Slam at the PGA Championship.
"If I'm able to put some good work in tomorrow, I will be in contention on Sunday. And at that point, it will be just more of trying to win a golf tournament," he said.
His goal was to stay in range, and Spieth felt he did enough – until Koepka made history.
- With AP