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AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 21, 2016

Brooks Koepka

Irving, Texas

MARK WILLIAMS: Brooks, thanks for joining us. 54 hole leader at 16-under. Just give us a quick overview of your round today and the position that you're in and how you're feeling going into the last round.

BROOKS KOEPKA: It's nice to go into the final round with a two shot lead. Today I hit the ball terrible. It wasn't anything to brag about at all. I felt like throughout the whole round, all 18 holes it wasn't very good but the putter, I'm putting it so well.

I feel like I'm putting into an ocean right now. We switched putters two weeks ago and it's got a real soft feel, rolls right away and the short game, too. I mean we've worked hard over the last year trying to improve the short game and putting and it let me hang in there today.

MARK WILLIAMS: We'll jump straight into questions.

Q. Jordan was also talking about struggling with his ball-striking today. I mean do you expect this to turn into a putting contest like it seems like?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Just about every time Jordan tees it up it has to be a putting contest. That's what it feels like. Yeah, we both -- it was -- it wasn't good today. It was kind of embarrassing. We both kind of hung in there, battled it out and we made some good, good key 10-footers and that's what you got to do out here if you're not hitting it well. If you're in the rough, you have no chance.

Q. What putter did you switch to?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The Nike Method.

Q. What is it like to play along side a guy that 99.99 percent of the fans are pulling for you? You obviously weathered it well today in terms of kind of -- not a hostile crowd but in terms of knowing everybody else is probably pulling for him and not you.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I really don't care. Doesn't really bother me. I mean he's got a lot of support which is cool to see. He has grown up here, home town. He should. There's so many people out there cheering him. 17 today was probably the loudest roar I think I ever heard on a golf course, which is pretty neat.

Q. Brooks, how do you describe your game?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Drive the ball really well. Iron play is pretty consistent. It's usually really good ball-striking is really good. In the past I'd say short game is kind of what let me down but we worked hard over the last year. I worked with Pete Cowan for two years now and finally starting to see the results.

Q. I talked to Claude outside. He said keeping it simple is sort of one of your trademarks, something you like to do. Does that make sense to you? Do you agree with that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. I've worked with Claude for probably four years now and I think over those four years it's the same thing every time. I think of three and that's it. Just keep it short and take it outside and swing it out -- come down on the outside -- swing it left. That's it. It's been the same three things for four years now. So, that's pretty simple, I'd say.

Q. Claude also mentioned how well you've been striking the ball this year but your putting had been letting you down. Can you talk to the level of frustration that you had up until last week when you made the switch?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Pretty frustrating. I felt like we were hitting it as good as I've ever hit it. I mean driving it way better with the new Nike driver. The irons, they're coming in higher. I've gained a little bit of distance with them, too, and the wedges are great.

I think the balance we have on them right now is about as good as it's ever been, the putter, the touch hasn't been there, you know, switching balls, putters everything like that hasn't quite matched up and then we put this putter in our hands and little softer and feel like putts now that were just dying at the hole are now able to catch the lip and go in. It's good to see. Just build some confidence off that.

Q. Brooks, you alluded to this earlier how crazy does it seem that the top two guys on the leaderboard, neither one of you guys seem very happy with tee to green. Just seems you guys are collectible 30-under right now.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It is kind of funny if you think about it that way. Yeah. It's crazy sometimes. I feel like when I won in Phoenix I felt like my ball-striking wasn't there, either, which is kind of funny.

I think sometimes when you're not playing your best you're more mentally there, you're trying to grind it out a little bit harder and it kind of -- you really got to come in with a good game plan, I guess you could say, manage yourself around the golf course. That's kind of what we're doing right now even though today wasn't that good.

You know, the putter gets hot and you turn that into what, 5-under?

Q. Brooks, like you said a moment ago, you're pretty chilled, not too worried about the crowd. Clearly what's it going to be like tomorrow, do you do anything different to prepare yourself for tomorrow or kind of go with it because he's going to have the same kind of response tomorrow?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm just going to do me. That's it. I'm just going -- to go work on the range here when I'm done, trying to fix the ball-striking and then the same game plan. We've been doing it all week. Obviously it works. Just stick with that.

Q. Brooks, do you consider yourself a golfer or an athlete?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Athlete.

Q. Why?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean I played baseball growing up. I always felt like I was pretty athletic. It's not -- I'm not a big golf nerd in that aspect. I'm not big on the history -- at home I'm definitely not watching golf. I'd rather be watching baseball, basketball, football, whatever it is. You got to -- you have to train like an athlete, too, even in the gym, watch what you eat, things like that.

It's not just about putting in the hours on the range, coming out here and seeing the results. Every athlete, there's so much behind it that people just don't see.

Q. Do you think that mentality gives you an advantage over some of the other guys out here?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I wouldn't say -- I guess so. I feel like I'm pretty mentally tough. Nothing really bothers me but I know I've worked my tail off so the results should come.

Q. Mentioning, again, the struggles you and Jordan, I noticed y'all were talking somewhat out there. Was there any by-play back and forth between you guys about your struggles?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really. I'm not going to tell him that I'm struggling. That's for sure (laughter). I'm sure he won't tell me. We both kind of knew it. We were just chatting.

I've known Jordan for probably ten years so it's nothing -- I mean we're not talking about golf. We're just talking about life, things going on off the golf course and basketball games, things like that.

We're not talking swing mechanics or anything like that. People probably think we are.

MARK WILLIAMS: I know you want to hit the range. I appreciate you coming in. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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