PGA Tour professional and four-time major champion Brooks Koepka Addresses the media following a somewhat disappointing opening round 72 at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational
PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka recaps even par round 1 at The Arnold Palmer Invitational
Q. Your takeaway from today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Even par. Nothing to get excited about. Nothing to rave about. It’s not far off, but it’s still, it’s annoying.
Q. Was it putting? Putts not going in?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, the par-3, 14, you got 25 feet for birdie, hit a good shot in there and then walk away with bogey, 3-putt. Just shots where I know if I’m in rhythm, it’s not, it’s going to be tight. Still not, just not capitalizing on anything. Turning what should be a routine 4 or par or whatever into a bogey and, well, it’s just not all there.
Q. Are you pressing at all or feeling like you’re pressing?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I just work through it. That’s why I’m playing this week. I wasn’t going to be here. I’m trying to figure it out. So it’s close, it’s not far away.
Q. What are you trying to figure out?
BROOKS KOEPKA: How to play golf.
Q. How long a session do you figure you’ll be out here working with your coach?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not too long. It’s windy. I felt like I hit it all right. The last couple holes just kind of got away from me, but it shouldn’t be too long. Like I said, it’s close. It’s not far away. But it has nothing to do with out here. I can hit it great out here. It’s about when the gun goes off. I played great yesterday, hit it great on the range. It’s when the gun goes off.
Q. How is the course playing?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s playing all right. The rough’s obviously up from what it’s been in years past. Greens are a little bit, got a little bit of trampoline affect to them, you know, on your chips. Can’t really spin them. But the greens are rolling pretty good, so the course has held up pretty well.
Q. What do you think about Florida State’s new football coach?
BROOKS KOEPKA: They got a longer way to go than I do. They got a longer way. So they’re, they have got a few years. Hopefully mine doesn’t take that long.
Q. Have you been in this position before? And if so, did you learn anything working your way through it last time?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, you can look at my results for the past three years, all the way through until about Match Play is when I started playing. I just feel like I’m playing good. That’s why it’s so frustrating. Before I felt like I played terrible and the scores have been terrible. So it’s not — last year at Honda was kind of a shock. I thought I was playing bad and ended up finishing second. That was the only good one. Years before it hasn’t been very good this time of year and I feel like I’m playing way better than what I’m shooting.
Q. (No Microphone.)
BROOKS KOEPKA: It is what it is, man. I’m still trying my ass off. I can promise you that.
Q. What’s your opinion on the new proposed golf league, the Premier League?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I said it like 10 times, I said I’m going to play where the best players play, simple as.
Orlando, Florida
March 5, 2020
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports