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FRYS.COM OPENOctober 11, 2014Brooks KoepkaNAPA, CALIFORNIA DOUG MILNE: Brooks Koepka, thanks for joining us for a few minutes after a successful round 3 of the Frys.com Open, different course but second and third round leader last year at Cordevalle. Let's start with a couple comments about today and then we'll open it up and take a few questions. BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, you know, today was kind of boring until the last three holes. I didn't make any putts. I felt like I wasn't starting anything online. Felt like I didn't hit it that great, either, but somehow kind of managed to keep it going and just kind of waited until the last three holes because you'll have a good chance, especially with the tee moved up on 17. Just stayed patient, and it worked out. Q. You played the par‑5s a little better today. BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, a little bit better finally. Did I birdie all of them? I think that's a little better. But if I can do that tomorrow, I should be fine. I don't know what I played the par‑5s this week, but it hasn't been very good. You know, 18 still, I haven't hit one good shot into it, and I've been perfect 250 in every day, where most guys kind of can't reach or kind of on the borderline. I haven't been able to take advantage of my length. Q. You mentioned the last three holes. Seems like there's lots of chances to score there. What do you expect tomorrow to be like coming down the stretch? BROOKS KOEPKA: I assume they'll move the tee up again. They'll keep it up there. It depends where that hole location is because those trees come into play. Today was all right, just because it was on the right‑hand side, but if you put it in front left, you'll see a couple guys go for it and catch those trees, and it could be a big risk‑reward. But as far as 16 and 17 go, I think you'll see an interesting finish. Q. How interesting? BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, you could see guys go 4‑under the last three, I think. I came close to doing that today, just kind of read 17 wrong. It's very possible. If you hit a good shot there or chip it in, guys are going to be up by the green in two on 18 and 16. If somebody chips something in, you never know. I could see somebody being two, three back and all of a sudden popping up. Q. What's your plan for tomorrow? BROOKS KOEPKA: I'll just do my thing, man. I'll just kind of‑‑ I don't know, I'm very chill, so whatever my caddie says, I'll just listen to him. I didn't listen to him last time at Frys. On 17 we hit it in the water there. I think we were two back or might have been one back at the time, but I didn't listen to him there, so I learned pretty quickly to listen to him. Q. Kind of talk a little bit, obviously you were in a similar place last year, I think in the lead or playing in the final round, and where you are now a year later, more experienced, maybe kind of chill‑‑ I think you said you were chill last year, too. BROOKS KOEPKA: Oh, I'm always chill. Not a problem with that. But as far as last year to now, I've learned a lot. I've learned to be patient. I've put myself kind of in I would say maybe five or six times kind of around the lead or have a really good chance, and I've come up short, obviously, but I want to get a win before this season is over. I felt like if I didn't win this season, I don't want to say I look at it as like a failure, but I've grinded my butt off and have just come up short. So hopefully that'll change tomorrow because I don't want to leave this season‑‑ well, I guess it's the start of a new season, but this year, without a win. I forgot, new year. Q. Do you have anything left over in Europe? BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'll play next week in Vegas and then go back home for a week and then go to China for two weeks, Turkey and then Dubai. Q. All four in the Race to Dubai? BROOKS KOEPKA: Yep. Q. That was a driver on 17 or was it a 3‑wood? BROOKS KOEPKA: 3‑wood. It was perfect. It kind of helps, too, trying to elevate it. My caddie told me just put some air under it, just hit it high in case it does squeak a little left. But I think if they moved it back to that back tee box, I don't think many guys could get to it, and I don't know if we could actually put it on the green just because those trees are so high. Q. Did you feel at all like you were getting lapped early, and did you have to remind yourself just to go and‑‑ BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really. He's good. He's really good. I was really impressed. This is the first time I've played with him. I don't watch much golf, but I've seen his name around the leaderboard and obviously getting a win last year, he's a hell of a player. Strikes it well and putts it unbelievable. Hopefully we'll be battling out for the next few years, for a while now. Q. Did he talk your ear off out there? BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. No, it was fun. I enjoyed it with him. It was cool. We're both young, so we're both kind of same interests, same everything. Q. You talked about 17. Can you just run us through your birdies, 4, 5, 9, and then the last three holes? BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm not very good at this. I don't remember the golf course very well. 4, we actually hit a poor 3‑wood off the tee. We tried to lay back a little bit because the pin is so tucked. It was in the first cut and just kind of hit a little 56 in there to about six, seven feet and drained the putt. And then 5, the par‑5, pulled the drive left, but we actually‑‑ I want to cut some trees down over there so bad. I was in the middle of the fairway and kind of been blocked out every time, but I actually pulled it this time. I was in the rough and I had a good lie, but clear shot. And then I think put it in the bunker and made about‑‑ kind of hit a poor bunker shot but made about a 12‑footer. 9, driver, 4‑iron kind of just right of the pin, two‑putt there. And then obviously the last three holes. I've pulled the drive left every single day on 16 and just caught a good enough lie where I can kind of get it there, and I actually thought I didn't quite hit the hybrid good enough, but I thought it was going to kind of squeak on the green, but it just ended up in the rough, and chipped it to about three feet and made the putt. Then 17, drove the green, two‑putted from about 20 feet. And then 18, drive right down the middle, a really poor hybrid. Some of these par‑5s, the second shots in, right bunker, and made another poor bunker shot and made about a 20‑footer. The putter kind of heated up there on 18, but other than that, it was just ice cold. DOUG MILNE: Brooks, we appreciate your time, and best of luck tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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