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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

October 26, 2017

Brooks Koepka

Shanghai, China

Q. 8-under to start with, sounds pretty good out there. How did you feel about the whole day?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I thought we played really well. Putted very well. One little hiccup and 3-putted from about, I don't know, 3 1/2, four feet. I felt like I started really well. Drove it really well. Any time you're making putts and you're keeping it in the fairway, you're going to shoot good.

Q. We've got a golf course there that's a little soft. Looks like we've had a the low of rain and getting a few mud balls. It would be nice to see it dry out. What do you feel, the greens when they are dry, they will putt a little better; would I be correct in saying that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think so. They have had a lot of traffic with the Pro-Am yesterday and being a little wet. The sun's out, so hopefully it dries it out a little bit. It wasn't too bad having a little bit of mud on your ball but it was a mud ball where basically once you got it in and made contact, it came off.

Q. You should come to the golf course dressed a little better. Looks like you've been dribbling chocolate ice cream down the shirt. What happened there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I had some fun in the water. It was an interesting hole to say the least. It was an awful 3-iron. Hit it in the water and to be lucky enough to actually get it out, was very fortunate, and then to hit 3-wood in there to 15 feet and then make the putt, we were laughing. It was almost kind of like destiny to make that putt for how lucky we were that whole hole.

Q. That was 8, the par 5. One more question. Winning the U.S. Open, how much has that freed you up to know that you do belong here?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I always felt like I belonged. I don't think that's really an issue. It's more of just confidence. Any time you win, you're going to have confidence and especially when it's a major. I feel really good. Game feels good. You know, I just want to close out this calendar year really well and start the year off well.

Q. A 64, you must be very pleased with that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I felt like I played really well. I drove it pretty well and putted extremely well except for one little hiccup. Game feels good and excited to start the season.

Q. Tell us about 8 and the reaction to that birdie putt there.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was an interesting hole to say the least. I hit an awful 3-iron, hit it in the water and was lucky enough or fortunate enough to at least hit it and advance it and hit a great 3-wood in there just past the pin. We were laughing; it was almost kind of destiny to make that putt. It was definitely an interesting hole.

Q. How are conditions out there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: They were good. This golf course is always in good shape. A little wet if anything. But I enjoy it here. It's fun. It's nice to get over here and play some golf. The fans are great.

Q. Only day one, but good start to the week.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, you know, you've got to get off to a good start. Doesn't really mean much; three other days. But any time you can get off to a good start and be close to the lead or have the lead, that's what you want. Just roll into that the rest of the week.

Q. Seven birdies and an eagle to open, pretty good start for you. Do you feel like you left anything out there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I felt like I left a lot. 3-putted from 3 1/2 feet, and had another 4-footer I missed and had a couple that just kind of burned the edge. But I played really well. I think you can't make everything. That's getting greedy. But I'm playing really well and I'm pleased with it.

Q. The 3-putt on 12, you had a pretty strong stretch; was that just a lack of concentration at that point or just something that happens in your round?
BROOKS KOEPKA: If anything, I pulled the first one maybe just a little bit. In fairness, that hill where we're at, every putt broke so much. I hit my putts quite firm, so if I do miss it, it going to go quite a ways by.

But when you putt aggressively like that, you can take the break out and you make quite a few, and then every once in a while it will happen where you 3-putt. But I'm not really focused on, you know, 3-putting. It's more of, it will happen every once in a while, but I come out on the positive end much more.

Q. You bounced back strong on the next hole. Something like that when it happens, can it get your attention back to the round and finish strong?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't really care. It doesn't really bother me. I can make 9 or 12 or I can make an ace. It's not really going to change anything. You still try to shoot the best score you can and grind it out.

Q. Are you staying pretty aggressive in conditions like this and a course like this?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, fairly aggressive. We're not challenging too much. A couple of the drivable ones, we're laying back. We've got a good game plan. Just got to stay patient. I think if you have wedges, you can almost guarantee yourself birdies. The greens are quite soft. So you don't really have to control your spin. It's more of just the yardage carry. They might release maybe three yards if you hit a low one, and if you hit a normal one, they just kind of stick where they are at.

That's the advantage of putting it in the fairway and having wedges in here.

Q. Got a little dirty here. Had one you had to hit out of the water?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, hit an awful 3-iron that went in the water. Was fortunate enough to be able to find, it hit it and advance it and gut it out and hit a great 3-wood right at the flag. It was maybe 15 feet, 18 feet by and made the putt. It was kind of one of those, we were laughing, I mean, it was almost destiny to be birdie the way it was.

You know, just very fortunate I guess on that hole.

Q. A few questions about your friendship with Dustin. You guys hang out off the course? How much time did you spend with Dustin?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Since Presidents Cup, we've had three weeks off, and I think I've probably seen him maybe 14 of the 21 days. The other days, I was out doing my own thing; I was up in New York.

You know, if we're home, we're spending most days together. I see him every day in the gym. If we're not in the gym, I'm over at his house or he comes over to mine. We're just hanging out.

Q. How good is that, to have somebody that you can kind of relate to, with a lot of the same issues or problems, or just the ability -- he knows what you're going through and you know what he's going through and get away from the course and enjoy?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, we both kind of have the same attitude. We're not going to take things too seriously. We like to relax. We like to work out. We've got the same interests, and makes it easy. To be honest with you, I don't think we've ever really talked about golf. More just laughing, having a good time and hanging out and it's nothing, bouncing ideas -- maybe when we play practice rounds, that's about the only time we ever talk about golf. When we're away, we're away and I think that's kind of one of the beauties of our friendships.

Q. Who talks the most?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I definitely talk way more than he does.

Q. What's something funny that we wouldn't know about Dustin that you get a glimpse of, better sense of humour or is there a quirky thing about him away from the course?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't think people actually realise how hard he actually works. I think people just -- he's naturally gifted but he also works at it pretty hard. If you see him in the gym or doing whatever, I think he's very focussed and I don't think people give him enough credit. He zones in. He knows what he's doing, and he grinds it out. He's got a great attitude for golf, too, but I don't think people really give him enough credit for how hard he actually focuses.

Q. Were you on a fishing trip with him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No but we've done that before. We have a good time. We'll be going on a boat and going fishing, doing whatever, diving, it doesn't matter. Definitely ate. Came over to the house and cooked some of the fish he caught. Came over to my place and cooked it up. It was actually pretty good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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