One of golf’s big names heading into the 2026 United States Open has some health concerns. According to Sam Frost of The Mirror on Tuesday, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka of West Palm Beach, Florida withdrew from the 2026 RBC Canadian Open after 54 holes with numbness in his left hand.
Koepka’s numbness reportedly happened in the ring and pinky fingers. According to Frost’s report, Koepka may be experiencing Ulnar Nerve inflammation or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Koepka has not received a proper diagnosis, and until he does, I would not choose him for him the third major of the year at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club this week.
At the time of the injury, Koepka was striking the golf ball well. After the second round of the RBC Canadian Open on Friday, Koepka was in seventh place at -8, and only two strokes back of the leader–American Ben James. However, Koepka struggled in the third round as he was two over par, and dropped down to -6.
Koepka made golf headlines in January, when it was reported that he was eligible to return to the PGA Tour after being on the LIV Tour. However, his return came with conditions. They included not receiving FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026, and not initially being eligible for the PGA Tour’s signature events.
In 2026, Koepka has seen his world ranking climb 136 spots from 246th in the world to 110th. This is not too much of a surprise because Koepka could not generate any Official World Golf Ranking points from LIV events. But we have not seen anything too spectacular from Koepka’s game. His best result was a ninth place finish at the Cognizant Classic.
Still, Koepka has won three PGA Championships, and two United States Opens and cannot be counted out. I just believe this week because of his health concerns and the fact he will are on a tough course, it could be a challenge for him to stay in contention.
