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THE RYDER CUP

September 30, 2016

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for rejoining us here at the 41st Ryder Cup. Pleased to be joined by U.S. Ryder Cup Team members Brooks Koepka, on my right, and my far right, Brandt Snedeker. They just won their match 5 & 4 over Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett.

Brooks, could you open up and just offer your general comments on how the match went today from your purview?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, it helps when you birdie the first three holes. That usually helps. But we got off to a good start and we both kept the ball in play. I drove it really well. I felt like I hit quite a few greens and it seemed every time Brandt was on the greens, he made a putt.

So it's tough, it's tough for those guys, but I felt like we were always like one step ahead. We played really well as a team today, so that was nice to see. But hopefully get back at it tomorrow.

JOHN DEVER: Brandt, anything to add there?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I had two jobs to do today. One was to go out there and make putts. The other one was to make Brooks feel comfortable and let him do what he's capable of doing, which was what we saw today. He drove the golf ball unbelievably. He did everything you could want to put pressure on people, and I was able to chip-in some birdies and make some putts and keep the momentum going and get the crowd going a little bit. So it was a great start for us.

Obviously not the session we wanted in the afternoon, but something to build on for Brooks and I and hopefully the team for tomorrow.

Q. Congratulations on a top-class performance today. I wonder if you felt slightly uncomfortable at times with all the shouting and yelling that was being aimed at Danny.
BRANDT SNEDEKER: Maybe a little bit. But you get that pretty much every week, it seems like, on TOUR on the weekend. You get in the last couple groups, people don't want you to win or whatever it may be, you hear some yelling. It wasn't -- I didn't think it crossed the line by any stretch of the imagination today.

I thought Brooks and I, Davis was out there quite a few holes trying to quash it if it got out of control. I don't think it really ever did.

Q. You played foursomes in 2012 at Medinah and you played fourball today. Even though you guys dominated today, is it a mistake to assume that a good fourball combination is automatically a good foursomes combination?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: You know, it kind of depends. I don't think it's a mistake. I think personalities have to mesh well. You kind of have to understand each other and know -- have complete confidence that your partner has got your back 100 percent.

Better-ball, like we played today, is probably the easiest format to pair up guys and see where you are and then go on to foursomes from there. I thought we obviously meshed well today. We knew we were going to play together at some point earlier in the week, so we played some practice rounds together and had a great time. And if they choose for us to go out alternate shot, we've played enough golf now where we know each other, we're comfortable with each other and we'll be ready to go.

Q. On No. 9, you missed your tee shot, hit the lady there.
BRANDT SNEDEKER: (Nods).

Q. Can you walk us through what happened and how it affected you afterwards?
BRANDT SNEDEKER: Yeah, it was really unfortunate. Hit a bad drive and goes in the crowd, and I actually hit a lady in the glasses. Luckily it hit her in the glasses and not straightaway. But still, she was down on the ground. Felt awful for a second. Went and got a golf ball, signed it for her, gave it to her. And she said, "I'm fine. Just go win this thing."

So when I heard her say that, I'm like, I'm good to go. She's okay. I told the marshals to get her information, try to send her something.

Unfortunately, when you drive it as crooked as I do sometimes, you get to know a lot of the fans that way. Hopefully she understands (smiling).

Q. If I could get both of you to comment, not sure if you were looking at the leaderboards, but at some point did you glance up and see the situation this afternoon and was there any urgency knowing you were the only American flag up there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's hard not to notice them. I think they are out there just about every hole or every hole. You can hear the roars, you can hear the chants, you can hear everything. So you know what's going on.

We just tried to play well, get the crowd going and tried to get those other guys pumped up and see if they can turn their matches around. I think that was the big thing. We were playing so well, we just wanted to get the crowd fired up and maybe get the other guys fired up, too.

Q. A lot has been talked about your driving, which is impressive. But your iron game was almost even more impressive today. Is this a course that just kind of suits your eye?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, yeah, I guess so. You've got to hit it far. But we've always struck the ball really good. Good ball-striker with the irons. I'd say you've got to hit greens out here. That's the big thing.

Q. As a rookie, how difficult was it to sit the morning session? What did you do and how amped were you once you got out there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Got up, came to the first tee. Watched all the guys tee off, which was pretty cool. Was able to do that and experience it. Then I just went to sleep. I just chilled, went on the couch, passed out, woke up and got ready. Got ready for the afternoon match.

Q. You just stated you were out on the first tee for the morning session, feeling and seeing all that energy. Do you think that maybe helped you to a degree calm down for the possibility of going out in the afternoon, as opposed to maybe getting in that mix in the morning?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, everybody wants to play every match. I mean, it was fun. If you're not going to play, you've got to be there to support the guys. That's the way I saw it. Especially being the first Ryder Cup, I wanted to go up to the tee and see it. I was there, just wanted to support the guys. That was the big thing.

JOHN DEVER: Thank you for your time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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