Brooks Koepka got off to a fine start as he looks to defend his LIV Golf Jeddah title at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. The Smash captain — who overcame his teammate Peter Uihlein in a lengthy playoff last year — struck four-under to sit tied for second spot alongside Dustin Johnson and Harold Varner III. The trio are one stroke behind Ripper’s Marc Leishman after the first round in Saudi Arabia. And Koepka insists there is still room for improvement.

“I thought I played solid,” he said after his 66. “I didn’t birdie any of the par-5s, so that was disappointing, but four-under in this wind, all right. Two three-putts not very good, but I just hung around.”

The highlight of Koepka’s first round was a fairway hole-out eagle two on the ninth. The staid American typically took it in his stride.

“It went in,” he smiled. “I don’t know what else to tell you. It went in. A little bit of luck involved for any shot to go in, but it was a good shot, too, so it was nice.”

Koepka also admitted that golf was the furthest thing from his mind when he and wife Jena’s first child, Crew, was born six weeks premature in July and needed prolonged hospital care.

“It’s definitely changed it [my perspective on golf]” he told Golf Digest Middle East. “I think the first little bit I was not interested in golf at all. Crew was fighting for his life, so golf became very irrelevant for me for a little bit.

“Now that he’s doing well, I’m able to focus a little better, and it’s definitely driven me a little bit to be more dedicated. I just want to show — I know he can’t see it right now, but show him exactly what hard work, dedication, practice — if you do what you’re supposed to do, it eventually will work out for you if you put all the effort in.”