Tag: Brooks Koepka

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PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka Addresses the Media at the PGA Championship Media Conference

ST LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 12: Brooks Koepka of the USA celebrates with the winners trophy on the 18th green after winning the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Golf & Country Club on August 12, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: 2019 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka speaks with the media at the annual PGA Championship Media Conference in San Francisco ahead of the 2020 edition taking place at Harding Park

PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka speaks to the media about 2020 PGA Championship

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, the countdown has really officially begun. It’s 84 days until the second major of the year comes upon Harding Park. We are really excited to have our defending champion, Brooks Koepka with us today, and I guess over the next 15 minutes we’re going to go ahead and open the floor to you to ask as many questions as like.

Brooks it’s been over — we have to go back to the ’20s when Walter Hagen won four of these championships in a row. What’s your mind-set going into this PGA Championship when you could come close to history winning three of these things in a row?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It would be incredible. Obviously you look at Walter Hagen is a name everybody knows, every golf fan knows. To even have a chance to put my name with his would be incredible and it would be super special.

Coming back, obviously two-time defending, it’s a different feeling, and one you want to win this year for sure. It’s something I’m looking forward to and can’t wait to get the year started.

Q. Given the hat that you’re wearing, I would imagine the perfect scenario would be to win this thing, look over to the camera and hold up a 2 and a 4?
BROOKS KOEPKA: That would be pretty cool. It would be neat. It would be special. It really would with everything that’s gone on, it’s obviously very sad, but no better way to honor him.

Q. How is your knee? How is your health?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s a lot stronger. It’s stable. It feels good. Every once in a while, last Monday was probably — didn’t feel very good but that’s why, you know, I have got my PT with me on the road taking care of everything and making sure that my knee is in the right spot. My knee is so much better. It’s really progressed a lot in the last month and a half.

Q. How will you prepare with the terrain, getting physically ready for the tournament?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ll be physically ready. I’ve got plenty of time. What did you say, Julius, 84 days? I’ll be fine. It’s something I’m not worried about. It is walking, so it’s not too bad. But at the same time, downhill is a little bit of a struggle but other than that, everything else is good.

Q. No. 1 in the world for a bit now. How has life changed for you since, if at all?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Obviously being No. 1 is nice, but you get comfortable with it and you know, you’re just trying to make sure you play good. It’s as simple as. Not there right now, but I had three months off, so just trying to find rhythm and get back into the swing of things and really kind of get used to being on Tour again.

Q. I know it’s been a few years, but can you share with us anything that sticks out from playing Harding Park before?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s a big boy golf course. You have to be able to hit it long. It’s very difficult. It’s a major championship golf course. You know that. You look at — this finish will be interesting. I think it will be a great finish. You look at the back nine there, starting on about 13, 14, it gets really interesting. You’re going to see a lot of — it will be exciting, especially if it’s close on Sunday. I think those holes let up for quite a few disasters and some good golf.

Q. Can you describe what it’s like, you have a target on your back now as the defending champion and the field is so competitive. When you’re the one that people are pointing toward, how does that change the way you play, or does, it when you know that people are gunning for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I like that. Everybody wants to be in that spot. There’s nothing wrong with it. Obviously they are all doing that because you did something good and that’s what you want. Just keep plugging away. It’s not a normal event, but you know, it’s a major; you’re hyped up and you’re pumped to play and ready to go, just get out there and go do what you’re supposed to do.

Q. Last year, the U.S. Opens you were so dominant, and then the Tiger one, the previous PGA Championship, last year, you were in complete control, had a little bit of a hiccup but were able to close the deal. What did you learn about going through that stretch and being able to hold on to win?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was nice. That’s why you play good the early days so you’ve got a chance. I really didn’t feel like I made any mistakes. It’s a hard golf course, especially when it’s blowing 25, 30 miles an hour in the wind. Played good and didn’t do much wrong but you can make some bogeys pretty quick on that golf course.

It’s been fun to battle it out with him the last few years.

Koepka Talks TPC Harding Park

Q. You called it a “big boy golf course,” Harding, with the trees, and accuracy matters; there’s a distinct San Francisco style of golf. You played in The Open at Olympic as an amateur, as well. What did you learn about San Francisco golf in those tournaments?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You know the rough is going to be thick. You know what you’re going to get. You have to be able to hit it far and you have to be able to hit it straight. There’s been a precedent on making sure accuracy is big, and you know that when you come out here.

You have to find the fairways if you event want to have a chance. If you don’t hit the fairways, you’re going to be struggling to make pars. You’re not going to make any birdies, but it’s a golf course that it’s set up for a major championship like this.

Q. Have you been back to Harding since the Match Play?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I haven’t been back. 2015 was the last time I was back. Back out here, might pop up for a day and maybe go play before the event but that’s about it.

Q. Had you heard how narrow the fairways are?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’m sure they are.

Q. We’re going to see you hit some balls to McCovey Cove. What are you going to be using? A sand wedge? Your putter?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ll probably use as much club as I can. I’d love to hit anything. It doesn’t matter. It would be cool to hit one in McCovey Cove. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out when we get down there.

Q. How was the Bart ride with the trophy?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was fun. I think everybody when I was on Bart was like, what is going on here. Brought like six, seven camera guys, everybody looking. It was fun. We had a good time.

Q. What did you think about the recent distance report?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The long hitters are going to be long hitters whether you roll the ball back or not, it doesn’t matter. I always use the example: Jack Nicklaus drove the green on 18 at St. Andrews and that was, what, 30, 40 years ago and it’s tough to do that now. I can’t even do that now.

It doesn’t matter. Look, kind of speaking out of both sides of their mouth. They want to make it tougher, but at the same time, we want to grow the game and get people involved. So if you’re going to make it tougher, not many people are going to want to play.

Q. Does Harding Park allow you to play your type of game? Does it put a different club in your hand from the fact that it is a narrower course and it’s got trees on each side of the fairway? Do you have to be smart about the way you attack?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You just have to take what the hole gives you. It doesn’t matter. There’s no real — my style of golf, nothing like that. You just try to go out there and figure out what the hole gives you and depending where the pin is and what the miss is, there’s about 30 things that can come into play and you just have to take what it will let you do.

Q. Do you have an idea — a few months out, what type of a game plan you may have for this type of a golf course?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It all kind of depends. You get a wind direction or the weather report comes in, whatever. It can change to anything in an instant. Doesn’t matter. Holes playing downwind now might play into the wind when we’re here. You just have got to see, kind of wait and figure out what the best opportunities are.

Q. How much does it matter, if at all, that this is on a public course? I know Bethpage last year, there haven’t been very many, Torrey Pines I guess, but truly municipal courses to host an event of this magnitude?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s incredible. Obviously anybody can go out and go play, which makes it unique. Makes it cool. So people really understand where we’ve been. If we have hit in a certain — behind a tree or hit it left on this hole or hit it right on that hole, the average golfer out there knows exactly what we’re dealing with. It brings people a little bit closer to us.

Q. Does it send an important message, battling the elitism?
BROOKS KOEPKA: For sure, definitely had that feeling for years and years and years. It’s nice to bring it to a public place and nice to bring it to somewhere where, you know, it’s not that exclusivity that’s been, I guess, tagged with golf for a long time.

Q. How important is it for you to try to get back to No. 1?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ve just got to play good golf, man. That’s all I’ve got to do. If I play good golf, everything should take care of itself. Just trying to feel a little bit of a rhythm, build up on it. I’ve only been hitting golf balls for a month and a half now. Everything should be pretty close.

Q. How did you handle the play off, not being able to play.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, it was a grind. It was the second we got back from Korea. I was in rehab right away, so I didn’t really have much time to think about anything else other than just go attack the knee and make it strong and make it back to what it was. That was the only way possible.

So I really haven’t had much time to think about anything else other than trying to get back out here and trying to be able to play again.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing this championship in a world-class city like San Francisco? It puts the PGA Tour and so many great players in this area.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s fun. I’ve spent a bunch of time out here in San Francisco when I was going through college and just getting done. Spent a much of time with a family out here in Pleasanton. It was kind of a second home there for a little bit. It’s fun. It’s fun to get back here and see everything.

Obviously it will be a fun week with the fans here. I think it will be exciting and hopefully they are looking forward to it.

Q. Has anyone in this area helped influence your game as a golfer teaching-wise?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. I haven’t got any lessons out here. It’s kind of far for me to travel from Florida, so I wasn’t out here getting much lessons. But no, nobody out here.

Q. Do you have relatives in Pleasanton?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. They were family friends. They were out there. So go play golf with them. One of them, Noah, is actually playing golf at the University of Washington. Be cool to see them. Hopefully they will be out.

Q. You mentioned Walter Hagen and that was so long ago in Match Play. Will you embrace that trying to go three in a row in stroke play, something that’s never been done in this championship, or just I want to play the golf tournament?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I just want to play good golf, man. It’s simple. You start thinking about all the things that could happen, that’s when, you know, I guess nerve, everything else kind of creeps in. Just stay in the moment and keep plugging along.

Q. When you win a major, how does that change your life?
BROOKS KOEPKA: A major? I mean, it puts you in a different category than everybody else. You can win as many tour events as you want, but at the end of the day, you’re remembered by how many majors you’ve won. You look at it, and I’ve said it before, Arnie, Jack, Tom Watson, Gary Player, all these guys, I can’t tell you how many PGA Tour events they won, but I promise you everybody knows how many majors they won.

Q. But when you go to 7-11, Wal-Mart, whatever, at one point it’s like, oh, there’s Brooks Koepka and then you win a major, oh, snap, expletive, it’s Brooks Koepka. Is it like that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s definitely a little bit different. Get noticed a lot more. Things like that, it definitely changes your life a little bit.

I’m still the same me, so it doesn’t matter. I’m still just a regular guy just like anybody else.

Q. Have you been to a baseball game here? Did you play baseball growing up?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I did. Actually I went on a date with Jena before were dating here, actually. Buster gave me tickets. I knew Buster from Florida State. He helped us out with tickets and we were here in 2015.

Q. So you didn’t go for the perfect game?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I wasn’t. I didn’t make it out. I wasn’t going to be getting free tickets from anybody at that point. (Laughter).

Q. Have you looked into the Premiere Golf League?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, everybody’s pretty much heard about it, looking at things.

Q. What do you think?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, there is a possibility. Obviously they have got financial backing. So it’s become more and more real, especially with everything that’s developing. They are giving us information. But at the same time, we’ve got to figure out what’s best for us. We have no idea. So when we make that determination, we’ll let everybody know.

Q. Both you and Rory have been dismissive of the rivalry labeled between you two, but has him overtaking you at world No. 1 changed your mind-set in regard to your ebb and flow with him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really. I just don’t — we haven’t competed going into a major coming down the stretch. I think the only time we really competed with each other was WGC.

So other than that, we haven’t been in contention in the same tournaments coming down the stretch, so it’s hard to say there’s a rivalry. Even people talk about the Phil and Tiger rivalry, it was kind of one-sided there for a long time, too. I just don’t see rivalries in golf, I really don’t.

Q. You’ve obviously won this twice and each major seems to have its own personality, and Augusta with the greens, U.S. Open with the rough, British Open with the wind. What in your mind is the signature sort of element of a PGA Championship?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think the fact that they can switch it up and make it different. I like the fact that you can play this in long rough, big tall rough. You can play it with not that much rough and make it difficult.

You look at like Bellerive two years ago, that was one of the funner courses to play, and then you look at it last year was probably one of the most difficult golf courses you’re going to play in the entire world. The way that they can vary it and make it different, and make it enjoyable for the fans.

Q. What was different about Bellerive?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think, too, there’s a lot of — it’s a sporting town. St. Louis is a good sporting town. It was fun to be there. In fact, I just remember how hot it was. I must have lost like ten pounds that week.

Q. Can you speak to the talent on the PGA Tour right now? It seems like it’s in a great spot right now with so many international and American players. Just how hard is it to win on this tour right now?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s obviously very difficult. So many guys, you go down the line, you’ve got Rory, J.T., Dustin. I could name 15 names, rattle them off. I think that’s why you’re not going to see — guys are not going to win 30, 40 times like they have years and years ago just for the fact of it’s not going to be possible. There’s too much competition.

Q. What do you remember about the baseball game you saw here, if you flash back to the U.S. Open at Olympic and the match play at Harding and to now think you’re coming back to San Francisco as No. 1 or close to No. 1. Pretty striking contrast to where your career was.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s different. That might have been my first match play, too. I could be wrong. It might have been my first one. It’s crazy to look how far I’ve come and how things have changed over the last, you know, four or five years.

Q. Any memories from that baseball game here?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Had a good day. I guess it worked out for me.

Q. Will you have a chance to play Harding several times before the PGA Championship?
BROOKS KOEPKA: We’ll see. It kind of depends. I remember a little bit of it, but also at the same time depends how much off-time we get and if I can if I’m over here, obviously going to spend quite a bit of time in San Diego with my guy and probably can, if I can pop up and the weather looks good, I’ll pop up for a day and play.

San Francisco, California

February 17, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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European Tour: Brooks Koepka Talks Controversial Saudi International

UNSPECIFIED, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 28: Brooks Koepka of the United States talking to the media prior to the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on January 28, 2020 in King Abdullah Economic City , Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Brooks Koepka talks to the media ahead of the start of the controversial Saudi International tournament about his recent return from injury, relationship with Kobe Bryant and the new Premiere Golf league.

European Tour: Brooks Koepka speaks with the media prior to Saudi International

STEVE TODD: Pleased to welcome Brooks Koepka back to the interview room. Brooks obviously you played in the inaugural event last year. Just give us your thoughts on being back here at Royal Greens this week and having seen the back nine today, your thoughts on the course and how it’s developed.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s gotten a lot better than it was last year. Any time you can give a course an extra year to really develop, you’re going to see the progression of it. The greens are a lot faster. The rough’s a lot thicker. It’s settled in nicely.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Saudi International

I’ve only played nine holes, but it looks incredible shape just as it was last year, just a little more settled in, which will be different. You never know what the scores could be. A few greens are a little firmer and faster, and if the wind gets up like it usually does in the afternoon, it might be a different story this year. You don’t know.

STEVE TODD: And you made your return from injury in Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago. Give us a sense of what you’ve been doing in the period over in Dubai and your thoughts on the game coming into this week.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Just practised all week. I had three months off, so there was no point in having a holiday or a vacation. It was more of a work thing. Just got the game ready. Felt good in Abu Dhabi. Felt good in Dubai. Feels good here.

Just a matter of going out and executing. I played just fine, great shots in Abu Dhabi. Just didn’t score and that’s my own fault. Just coming here to try to figure it out and put some scores together, put some rounds together, and yeah, try to eliminate some mistakes.

Q. You put out quite an emotional Tweet after the dental of Kobe Bryant, posting that message. Can you talk about that message? Was it personal to you — it referred to injury recovery?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, he sent that to Gordon Hayward when he destroyed his leg about two years ago, with the Celtics. He sent it to him and I remember reading it and thinking, wow, that was pretty cool.

My wrist, I had it in the background of my phone every day. So it was something, his words were what I looked at every day, or every time I looked at my phone, which I think everybody knows is about 20, 30 times a day, if not more. Just pick it apart, see different things. It kind of helped me understand that it’s okay to be upset. Okay, I don’t want to say I was depressed, but you get pretty down, and just the fact that it’s okay to be down and figure it out and actually grow and enjoy the process. Because it sucks at the time, but what’s going to come out in the end is going to be a whole lot better and it makes you appreciate everything and look at it different.

Q. What stands out to you about him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: To me, I was a Lakers fan because of him. I kind of missed the Jordan era, so anybody I think my age was a big, big Kobe fan. I mean, I cried, I cried that night. I’ve never met him, but I cried for him, you know, just for him, his family and everybody that was golfed. I guess goosebumps now thinking about it. I just can’t imagine those last — you know, those last few seconds, having to hold your daughter and not know and not see the rest of your family again. Made you really appreciate life and what you have, and golf’s a stupid game that we just play. It’s really not that important. I know everybody likes to think it is, but it’s not. Your family, your friends, everybody around you; the impact you might have on other people is way more important than what I do out here and what I shoot. If I shoot 80 tomorrow, or I guess Thursday, or 60, it doesn’t matter.

Q. There’s been a lot of talk the last few days about this proposed Premiere Golf League. Can you give us your thoughts on what you’ve scene or heard? I know there was talk, an e-mail from Jay Monahan to the players. Have you had a chance to look at that and your thoughts on that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I saw the e-mail last night before I was going to bed. We’ve heard talks about it for a while. I was only brought up-to-date, I think on January 4th where it was more of — instead of hearing about it for a couple years, okay, I think this might actually happen. I just don’t have enough information on it, I really don’t. I’m always going to speak my mind and tell you what I think, and I think everybody in this room knows that, but I just couldn’t know enough to genuinely have an opinion or know — know enough to speak on it. So I’m kind of — don’t really — I don’t really have much to say on it because I don’t know all the facts.

Q. Is the Tour response how you think it would be in terms of what Jay said to the players?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, I mean, what do you think their response is going to be when something comes along the way? We’ll see. I have no idea. This is all basically a month old for me when I realised that, okay, well, this could be a possibility. I don’t know.

When I know all the details, I’ll be happy to sit in front of you guys and talk to you about it.

Q. Along the same line, I know there’s not one thing that would sell you on leaving the PGA Tour and doing this, but if you had a list of things that you would like to see differently on the Tour, is there anything?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, it would start with pace of play, so that was good. I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about a bunch of things I would change.

I think field size. I think I would shorten the field size a little bit because there are times where it’s very difficult to finish, especially in the fall for those couple tournaments.

Smaller field size, yeah, that’s what I got off the top of my head. That’s actually a really good question. If you give me a day to think about it, I’ll give you an answer.

Q. Would continued access to major championships be the absolute deal breaker?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, that’s obviously — there’s a lot of things that are going to have to play into it. In golf, that’s what you’re remembered by, major championships. You know, it just depends on how things go. So far, I haven’t even thought about it. I mean, the Olympics is still even new. You know, it not something I grew up wanting to do. Golf wasn’t in the Olympics. It was never an option. So kind of don’t know how I feel about that.

And then, you know, major championships are how you’re remembered. It’s not — I know everybody always gives me grief about not winning enough PGA Tour events or European Tour or not winning enough, but I said this a couple weeks ago, I guarantee most of you in here don’t even know how many regular tour events Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson; you just know how many majors they won. At the end of the day, that’s how you’re remembered by in golf.

It’s a big part for me, and see where it goes. I mean, things are, I guess, developing, even as we speak. When things are more finalised and kind of put in stone and I understand it and I exactly know where things are falling, then I’ll be probably one of the first ones to make a choice or figure out what I’m going to do.

Q. You mentioned the Olympics, and you’ve seen what’s happened with Justin Rose having a Gold Medal. Can you think about that for a second and if you think now if the Olympics are maybe as important as a major to you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Because it’s so new, I don’t — no, I don’t think it is, just because it’s so new. I think it’s an incredible honour. You ask most athletes that are running 100 metres, gymnastics, anything like that, that they wait four years for that.

We have four majors a year. Track, you’ve got indoors and outdoor championships, different things like that, but that’s their big event, the Olympics, and it only comes around every four years. Golf, we’ve got four majors every year, and now we’re going to add the Olympics and you’ve got The Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup, plus the FedExCup for us, and that’s a lot of weeks on the road, a lot of weeks traveling back and forth, a lot of time zones.

You know, it just all kind of depends how you feel, how your body feels, whether — to me, the four majors are definitely more important for me. The FedExCup, too. That’s pretty — that’s a goal of mine. We’ll see where everything else falls.

Q. I understand, Brooks, that you see the majors as more important, but your Asian colleagues on Tour probably don’t, do they, and they think so much more so about trying to win golf in the Olympics. I wonder if in 20 years or so as the Asian players coming on at the moment, if an Olympic medal will mean every bit as much as a major around the world?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Everyone’s allowed to have their own opinion. If it’s more important to them, that’s great. If it’s more important — I’m sure it’s more important to some people that are playing this week. It’s their own opinion.

I mean, I’m sitting up here giving you opinions. I mean, you’re asking me my opinion, so I gave it to you.

Q. No, I’m very grateful to have your opinion. I’m just wondering what — you do speak to your Asian colleagues about what they value more.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I haven’t spoken to anybody, really, about the Olympics. I’ve spoken to other Olympic athletes. I don’t speak to guys out here on Tour about the Olympics. I don’t. It’s just they are my competitors. I don’t really talk to them. I don’t hang out with them. I don’t ask them, hey, you know, thinking of playing the Olympics in seven months, a year, four years?

Q. I find that quite interesting. Thank you.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Got other things to talk about.

STEVE TODD: Brooks, thanks a lot, thanks for joins us. Good luck this week.

January 28, 2020

King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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European Tour: Brooks Koepka Recaps Opening Round 66 At The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 16: Brooks Koepka of The United States tees off on the ninth during Day One of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 16, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and 4 time major champion Brooks Koepka speaks with the media following the opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, his first competitive round in nearly three months.

PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka talks first competitive round following knee surgery

Q. Your first competitive round in nearly three months resulted in a bogey-free 66. I imagine it feels good, but tell us from your point of view?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It does. It’s good to be back. Missed the competition obviously. Played really solid. Missed a few putts early if I really want to pick it apart. Drove the ball well. Controlled ball flight and controlled distances really well and that’s what you have to do out here.

Q. What’s your sense of how the golf course played today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Pretty good. Usually in the afternoon the wind picks up, and you know that going in, so when you have a morning tee time, you have to take advantage of it. I did that today. Hopefully tomorrow the wind stays down a little bit because this golf course into the wind, or with the wind, can be very difficult.

Full Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. When we chatted on Tuesday, you said you were particularly targeting an improvement in short game and touch around the greens. 17 from back of the green, horrible lie, very difficult and needed a great touch. How pleased were you with the short game today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was, it was really good. To chip one in there, I wasn’t expecting that, but short game was really good. The strike was really good. I worked hard with Pete in trying to make sure that I know what I’m doing, and understand what I’m doing and can make it repeatable.

Q. A new driver in the bag. How did it feel today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It works. When they hand it to me and it works; we had a long session on Tuesday trying to figure out — we couldn’t get it quite right but we got it dialed in and it worked, so I’m very pleased with it.

Q. How did the knee feel in competition?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It feels fine. It was a little sore last night. Just did some treatment on it. That’s expected. This is a first week I’ve walked 18 holes and I’ve done it three times already. It’s a little tired.

Q. 66. Your analysis of how today went for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I played really solid. Controlled distances. Controlled flights. Controlled spin. Everything that’s exactly what you want to do. Felt good to be back out playing, just feeling the competition again. I’m pretty pleased with it.

Q. We’ve heard from a lot of players leading up to this week how key it is to stay on the fairway, on a day which probably wasn’t your strongest off the tee as far as accuracy. Not a bogey on the card?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, some of these fairways are like 12 yards wide, so I’m not really expecting to hit them. When you put it in the rough — you just have to position. You know where the pins are at. When you know the pins are at, you can kind of play the hole backwards and figure out if you can be aggressive off the tee and hit driver, and then sometimes it pays off to have that lob wedge, even when it’s in the rough, and other times you’ve just got to lay it back. You’ve got to understand the golf course and really how to play it.

Q. You’re often noted and praised for how strong you are and how long off the tee. Your short game has always been impeccable. Do you feel like you don’t get enough credit in that area?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know. I feel like I’m doing just fine. I’m not really worried. I’m worried about what Pete tells me to do in the short game and that’s about it.

Q. 17, incredible chip and Tommy nearly matched it, and a giggle we didn’t pick up on the feed. What happened?
BROOKS KOEPKA: We were just laughing. My caddie wasn’t exactly helping out. He was too focused on talking and Shane had to face his caddie with Tommy there for a half-second because Bo was in the bunker with Shane. Then I was just grabbing the pin, and Rickie was just — it’s his first week back, put it that way.

Q. The pace of play policy rolled out, this is an area you’ve been outspoken in the past. You must be delighted things are moving in this direction?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, the game is evolving. You see it with the technology and the way the golf courses are build. The rules are starting to change a little bit with it, and I think it’s a good thing. We’re moving forward, moving in the right direction. I’m sure in ten years’ time, there will be a lot more things have changed.

Brooks Koepka speaks on return from injury:

Q. After an injury layoff to come back in that manner must be very satisfying?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, solid. I like the way I’ve played. I’ve kind of known I’ve been hitting it really well, putting it really well for a couple weeks. I think the first day I picked up the club, same thing. Felt like I hadn’t left. I’ve done it for years and years. You don’t forget how to swing the golf club.

Q. When you are in the midst of an injury layoff, do you ever worry that you might not be able to pick it up as quickly when you are able to get back?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, not really. The only thing is if the injury actually prevents from you swinging the golf club and I wasn’t going to swing a golf club until I knew I was able to do that. I got the green light from everybody to be able to start hitting balls and I did, and it’s fine.

Q. It’s one thing to do it in practice, but then under the gun of competition. To go bogey-free as you did today, and have the moments that you did must be very, very pleasing?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’m very pleased with how I played today. I’m excited and it will be nice to be able to practice again. I haven’t been able to practice; last year, I just couldn’t practice. It was too painful and wasn’t being able to do the things I wanted to do.

I told my team in the last year, I was just going to really rededicate myself for the next five, six years, and we’ll see where we are. From there, you know, who knows, other things might be a priority.

Q. And physically, how do you feel about your first round in competition back?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I feel fine physically. I’m out of shape but —

Q. You don’t look out of shape.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, it takes a little bit to get in golfing shape. You stand on the putting green for 30 minutes and putt and your back starts to ache. Just little things like that. But it will be fine. Only take a couple more weeks.

Q. And you’ve given yourself a great platform for the week.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, hopefully just keep it the rest of the week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, UAE

January 16, 2020

Categories
Professionals

European Tour: Brooks Koepka Previews Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 14: Brooks Koepka of United States speaks to the media ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 14, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Major Champion Brooks Koepka speaks with the media ahead of the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship about his recent struggles with injury and playing practice round with 15 year old Josh Hill.

European Tour: Brooks Koepka talks HSBC Championship, injury, and his golf game at 15 years old

CLARE BODEL: Brooks, welcome back to Abu Dhabi. How does it feel to be here?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I love this place. I always fun to get back to. Kind of reminds me of when I first came over here to The Challenge Tour and spent a bunch of time here in Dubai. I love this place. The golf course is really good. It’s in great shape, even after all the rain that they have had here. It’s just a place I like coming to. I felt comfortable here and hopefully play well this week.

CLARE BODEL: A few of your compatriots are here, but you prayed a practise round with young, up-and-coming Josh Hill. Do you enjoy it?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I enjoyed it. Josh is a good player. Hopefully learned something. He beat me in an eight-hole match yesterday, so he got the better of me, which I’m sure enjoyed, as he should.

It’s cool. It’s always fun to get to play with these young kids, and you really see in ten years when I’m close to being on my way out, all these kids that will be up and winning a bunch. It’s cool to see. You know, it will be cool to see in the next five, ten years how much he progresses.

CLARE BODEL: This is a big tournament this week, the first event in the Rolex Series. What would it mean to get this tournament on your resume? You have a pretty impressive resume as it stands.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Obviously it would be nice. These Rolex Series Events are what you have more emphasis on winning. It’s what you want to win. The players that are playing in this event are obviously really good, some of the best players in the world. That’s why I think everyone’s here. You want to play in the top events. You want to play in the best events you can, and win them.

Q. A little bit of comparison from two years ago when you were out for almost 17 weeks with a wrist injury at the start of the year. This was towards the end of the year, almost 14 weeks out, and then you came back in 2018 and did all that that you did, does this injury and the layoff give you more motivation, and how did you prepare for 2020 in these 14 weeks?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know if it gives me more motivation. I don’t think it does. I think it — when you have something you love and it’s taken away from you, I think it makes you appreciate it more and really enjoy being out here.

I mean, I miss competition. I’ve missed showing up to an event preparing for something, because I haven’t had anything to prepare for. When you have three months off, it’s not fun, I know that. But it makes me appreciate the game more every time and hopefully I don’t have anymore of those situations.

But I’m excited. I’m just excited to hit balls. When I started hitting, it’s the same thing. It’s exciting and it’s enthusiasm to get out there and go play. It’s been, last year, there wasn’t much practise. I just couldn’t do it with my knee. I think everybody saw it on my team towards the end of the year. I couldn’t get on my left side. I couldn’t do things. Couldn’t squat down in a bunker. I struggled to get down and read a putt. You know, thankfully that’s in the past now.

Q. Josh is from our region and we are very looking forward to a great career with him. You played with him. Was there something he was eager to find out from you, and what kind of advice do you give when you play with someone as young as Josh and you see him play alongside you? What kind of advice do you tend to give to such youngsters?
BROOKS KOEPKA: He asked good questions. I thought that was important. I think being so young, I would — if I was in his shoes, I would have been afraid to ask. He wasn’t afraid to ask, which I think is very important and very mature for his age. He’s a good player. Putts it really well. Short game is really good. Strikes it really well.

But the questions he was asking, and how to handle the week, how to go about being aggressive, his aggressiveness, how — when to attack things, when to not, and give him some advice on how to play a little bit and how I go about things. Not saying that it’s the right way for everybody, but just a little bit of insight.

You always want to pick a good player’s mind. Doesn’t matter if you’re doing it today. You try to pick all the guys that have been around, played a long time, and pick their brains. I think it’s important, and the fact that he’s doing it at 15, if he keeps doing that and keeps progressing as he should, you know, he’ll be out here very shortly.

Full Leaderboard Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. What were you doing when you were 15?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Causing trouble (laughter). I’m sure if you ask my parents that, they would be shaking their heads.

Q. Where was your golf at that stage?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It wasn’t as far along as Josh’s, I know that. I didn’t get too play many tournaments. When I grew up, we didn’t have any — we didn’t have much money, so we couldn’t afford to travel and go play golf. I was working. I tried to practise, you know, I was working, but I was trying to practise, too. I’d go to the range and kind of stop the picker in the back, hit a couple balls in the back and then go pick them up. It wasn’t anything to brag about.

Brooks Koepka touches on recent struggle with injury

Q. Can you just talk about the timeline of your injury and what procedure you had and the exact nature of it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I’ve had problems with it since March. Dealt with it the whole year, all the way till — I had stem cell done on my knee and it felt fine all the way through Vegas, all the way to Korea. Everything felt good. And then in Korea, just slipped, and you know re-tore it and the kneecap had moved into the fat pad, which, that’s excruciating. It’s a lot of pain. It’s not fun. It’s been — I mean, we flew back, I think Saturday. I got in Saturday night and I started rehab on Monday.

So I was very, you know, all the way through, still doing it now. Still doing a lot of rehab. Before gym, after the gym, getting in there. Been trying to make sure everything feels right, and it does not feel like my right knee, I’ll be honest with you. It doesn’t feel the same as my right. It probably won’t for a while. But it does feel stable, which leaving Korea and all the way up to about a month and a half ago, it just doesn’t feel stable. It felt like it could go either way. It could go left, out, back, it could go anyway.

Q. Were you operating 100 percent last year through the major season?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. No. But I don’t think anybody’s ever operating at 100 percent. I think that’s a rarity in sports. I mean, especially with how much — everybody’s dinged up a little bit. Nobody wants to hear an excuse. So.

I’m not going to come out and tell you I’ve got the sniffles or tell you my knee hurts. Just get on with it and go play. I mean, I won with it, so I don’t see any issue with it.

Q. This year promises to be a very exciting year with many players at their best. Justin Thomas just won recently. Rory McIlroy has had a very good end of season. Tiger Woods, as well. So I have two questions for you. First of all, how much do you see Tiger as a threat this year in the majors, and which event are you looking forward to the most? Is it the Olympics, The Ryder Cup or any major in particular?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think we know all four tournaments that I’m looking forward to. I think that’s pretty obvious. That’s what everybody gears their year around.

You’re trying to get in the swing of things to start it off, obviously. Those are — to me, the way I see it, that’s what everybody is remembered by. You guys are better at stats, but we can all sit here and tell you how many Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, how many majors they won, but I don’t know how many tournaments they won.

But I think other than Tiger, because he’s close to the record, but majority of the guys, you can’t tell me how many PGA TOUR tour events or events they won. You’re remembered by your majors. That’s where my focus is, trying to play well there.

And what was — Tiger? All depends on his health and how he’s feeling. I’m not in his body. So if he feels good, I think he showed us all he can still play and still compete at a high level. If he’s healthy, yeah, he’ll be there. If he’s not healthy, hopefully he does get healthy.

Q. How much of the Presidents Cup did you catch and how badly do you miss it? Does it motivate you for The Ryder Cup better?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it does. Obviously it’s not fun to miss a team competition, because I think those are some of the most fun events we play all year. Being in the team room with everybody, you feel the camaraderie, the bond that you make with those guys, it kind of lasts forever. It’s a special thing to be in these team rooms. I enjoy it. It’s so much fun.

I watched more on Saturday and Sunday. I was in — I was doing rehab in San Diego, and stopped into a restaurant and had them change a channel to the golf so I could watch it, and then watched the guys come back and win. That was pretty cool.

Q. How much does it motivate you for The Ryder Cup?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I hope I’m on the team. I think that would be — that’s everybody’s goal. It doesn’t matter starting the year, I think that’s something that’s on every American and European’s goal list. I think that’s what they are looking forward to. Especially because we just lost the last one, and I think it’s in the United States, so I know we are looking forward to and hopefully we come out and do what we’re supposed to do.

Q. On the back of your comments about the four majors, of the other venues, what do you like about them and what do you know about them?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not much. I think the Match Play was out at Harding Park in 2015, something like that. I don’t know much about the other ones.

Q. Have you played Royal St. George’s?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Never played there. Watched it the year Ben Curtis won there. I was at that Open. I watched it. I watched him win. But I mean, I can’t remember much of the holes.

So I mean, I’ll probably to make a trip out to New York before and go check it out, but don’t know much about them to be honest with you. But that’s what the prep’s for. Go in there early, Monday to Wednesday, figure out all the info you need. My caddie, Rickie, might have been there. I don’t know. I haven’t asked him. We’ll see.

Q. This week marks the introduction of The European Tour’s new regulations aimed at targeting slow play and it’s just been announced there’s a revision, immediate one-shot penalty for two bad times in a tournament. Do you think that’s a good thing and how important is it for golf that this regulation is coming in?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think it’s a good thing. I think the game’s changing and I think the rules need to kind of change with it. I think that’s why you’ve seen so many different rule changes, equipment changes, things like that going on. You know, it’s got to evolve as we evolve, the courses evolve and technology, everything like that.

They are trying to make the game a lot simpler, and I think making these changes is, you know, we’re on our way to making it easier to understand for the fans at home, the players. It’s very clear-cut what’s going to happen and very clear-cut what you need to do.

I think when everybody knows the rules, it’s a lot easier.

Q. Did I understand you to say that you were at St. George’s when Ben Curtis won?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yes. I was there.

Q. You were very young?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I was. I remember I went with my mom and my brother. We were over on a trip all over the U.K., Scotland. Spent a few days down in London. We got to go, I think — I can’t remember if it was Saturday or Sunday, but we definitely were there Sunday watching him.

I remember it was actually kind of funny, my brother shouted at Tiger and he shouted back at my brother, something like, “Thanks, Bud,” or whatever it was. We thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was 12, maybe, something like that.

It’s been a while since then. I mean, I don’t remember much of it. I just remember Ben won coming down the stretch there.

Q. Was that the first time you had been to Britain?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was, actually. First time.

Q. Any other impressions?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I was 12 years old. I really couldn’t experience too much. Whatever my mom wanted to do, I was kind of following.

Q. In these weeks leading up to Augusta, how important is it for you to remain as world No. 1, and is there any psychological significance standing on the first tee at Augusta holding that position?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t think so. I don’t think it matters. It doesn’t matter to me — yeah, it’s nice to be world No. 1. I think there is a little bit of — a little bit of everybody that wants to be world No. 1. Otherwise, why is it a competition, you know.

But the only thing I’m looking forward to it the prep leading up to it is, okay, am I playing good, am I trending in the right direction going to Augusta, and that’s — you know, usually, I haven’t played very much over the break. Kind of come in trying to play my way into it, where I feel like now, I’ve had a few weeks of practise where I feel good because usually I’m over here trying to find it.

You know, Hawai’i is usually where I start, and trying to get the practise in there and try to build up to it. But now, having a little bit of practise feels good, and hopefully, out of competition for three months, so just try to get back in the swing of competition.

I think that’s important, and build your way up to Augusta. I think that’s pretty much what every player tries to do. You hear guys talking about it from when the year ends, how they are trying to build up to Augusta and I think that’s the way everybody goes about it.

Q. Not sure if you saw it, but on the PGA TOUR website last week, Rory was talking about the season, and he says that he believes he’s the best player in the world on his day. What do you make of that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: He should. He should believe that. Everybody playing should think that. I mean, if you don’t think you’re the best player, what’s the point. Everybody comes here trying to win. That’s the goal. If you don’t believe you’re the best deep down, then there’s something wrong with you. You might as well quick.

Q. And the Olympics, where is that on your priority list?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ve been trying to do my knee. I’ve been worried about my knee. I haven’t thought about it. Just honestly thinking about trying to play, trying to get over here for this. I don’t want to say this was kind of up in the air, but it was — we weren’t 100 percent on it too long ago.

Q. You mentioned about watching the Presidents Cup. How much golf did you consume during the off-period? Were you checking leaderboards? Were you watching golf on Instagram, Golf Channel? How much was your consumption?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I watched the Presidents Cup and that was it. That was the only golf I watched. Usually during that time, it’s kind of my off time, anyway. There’s a lot of other sport going on, football, basketball. I’ll watch those.

Q. When did you get the green light to come here and how worried were you that it wasn’t going to happen?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know if I wasn’t — I wasn’t too worried it wasn’t going to happen. I just didn’t — I just didn’t know when it was — or even if I came back, right. Even if I got the green light, whether it was going to feel right, whether you’re going to be the same, how is it going to feel.

I started hitting balls, I think just before Christmas, was about the first time I hit balls. Everything felt good. Speed was the same. We were hitting on TrakMan and my numbers were exactly what they were the day I left. So it’s always nice, and then from there, you’re just practising.

Then I think from that moment on, after a couple days of hitting balls and not feeling pain, it was, okay, I could get back here and do this and finally play.

Q. Do you have any worries with what’s happening in the world at the moment?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
January 14, 2020