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THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 22, 2018

Brooks Koepka

Old Westbury, New York

THE MODERATOR: We welcome Brooks Koepka here to the interview room at The Northern Trust, No. 3 in the FedExCup standings entering the playoffs. If you could, some opening comments about going into this stretch of playoff events and your goals to finish the season.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it's nice to be, I guess, very fresh for the playoffs, especially with these four events coming up. I haven't exactly brought my best in the playoff events over the past couple of years. But having that time off in the beginning of the year, I guess, it helps, this only being, what, my 14th event of the year. So I'm excited, looking forward to it, and obviously a chance to win the FedExCup is what you want to do when the season starts.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Did you know your record in the playoffs was not very good or did somebody tell you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I know it's not very good. I don't need anybody to tell me. I think two years ago, what was it, I think I missed the first two cuts, I believe. And then I just haven't shown up. I don't know if that's being a little tired, a little lazy, not the preparation that you really need to put the emphasis on the FedExCup that I should have been.

Maybe just trying a little bit too hard. I think sometimes that can be a fault, too.

Q. (Off microphone)
BROOKS KOEPKA: The what?

Q. A Cup team?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I looked back when I was trying to make Jay Haas' team, what was it, three years ago, and I played terrible coming in because I probably could have had a spot on that team if I would have just played halfway decent. You finish 30th in all those events and I'm probably on the team.

So probably did cost me a team event, which it's disappointing, but I was giving it a maximum effort and sometimes it just doesn't pan out.

Q. What has it been like for you kind of the journey this past year you've been on, what has this past year been like for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Roller coaster. Definitely. You look back at starting the U.S. Open, at Erin Hills, to win your first major, you're on such a high and you're so excited.

And then to roll that into not being able to play golf for -- well, I tried to play hurt for a really long time, for about three months. I just didn't tell anybody. And that was kind of discouraging.

I finished last in, what, three events that I played in. So it wasn't exactly fun to be trying to battle through that. Then to have four months off, miss Augusta, that's never fun. And then to come back out and play as well as I have, the excitement level I had was through the roof.

I can't even begin to tell you, for going through the all clear to hit balls to seven days later teeing it up in a PGA TOUR event, I was even shocked at how well I was hitting it. And then to come out and win the U.S. Open to go back to back was so cool, so special.

Then to follow it up with a PGA this year is -- looking at April sitting on the couch watching Augusta, I don't think I would have even thought of this that this could even happen.

Q. You just touched on a little bit with the injury. But obviously that was a frustrating time, but was it scary? Were you concerned about your career at all, or did the doctors assure you hey this is going to heal and you'll be fine?
BROOKS KOEPKA: There was no assurance. I think for as many times as I was in Dr. Akel's [phonetic] office, nobody knew. It ended some guys' careers out here, the injury we had. And sitting back -- I mean I was in a cast, I was in a soft cast for almost two, two and a half months. And I'm watching everybody else play. I'm looking at the injuries that some of these guys have had and they just have comebacks. And I kept trying to think positive and just see where I am and then I remember when I took the cast, the soft cast off, and I went to go push down on like the shampoo bottle or the soap bottle and it hurt to do that. I was like, man, I'm in for a really long recovery.

But therapy every day, being in the gym every day trying to just grabbing rice, just trying to strengthen it and watching the progression. It actually -- once I started to feel like I was more comfortable holding things in my hand and just even holding a bottle of water and being able to turn side to side, the progression got very quick, which was nice to see.

And then all right I can do it. And then the first week out we were in I think it was Charlotte, or the second week out, and I remember hitting it in the rough. And then that thought goes through your mind, well, what if I do this or what if I get next to a root.

I hadn't hit any bunker shots because I was more afraid of what might happen there. And there was a lot of more doubt when I got out to the golf course I guess you could say whether it was going to be the same. But luckily everything's holding up.

Q. Do you think you made it worse, you said you didn't say anything right away played hurt for a while, did you make it worse?
BROOKS KOEPKA: They don't know if I made it worse or not. They said it was barely hanging on. So I'm sure it wasn't helping it. And I just tried to tough it through it. I mean, you can't always play 100 percent whether you're not feeling well or whatever you're hurt. But there are times where you're just not going to be 100 percent and you just gotta suck it up and play because that's your job.

Q. With Tiger's improved play, fan interest is up, TV ratings are up. Beyond crowd noise that he brings, do you have an awareness in a tournament like this that he's in it, that he's out there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, it's hard not to. We were playing today and I think we were on like the 17th walking up to the green and the guys we were playing with were, man, there's a lot of people on 18. I'm like, well, what do you think? Tiger's two groups in front of us.

It's exciting to have him back. It's exciting to have him playing well. As players, we're excited. I can only imagine being a fan on the couch, you get to watch the greatest player ever back out playing some great golf. And that's truly exciting. And as a player you want the best player ever to play his best and go toe to toe with him somewhat like the PGA. I can't tell you how it didn't hit me until like three days later how really fulfilling that was and how cool of an experience that was.

You know, a lot of guys my generation might never have that chance. You never know what's going to happen with time. But you hope he's out here for as long as possible.

Q. One was related to Tiger, after you had won, he was waiting there, obviously finished up a little before you in St. Louis. What did that mean to you and what did he say to you? As you reflected on that in the last couple of days, or couple days later, I should say.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, obviously I wasn't expecting it. And I made the turn around that corner and I saw him and I was, like, I was kind of in shock a little bit to think he waited around for 30 minutes just to watch me finish.

And he said congrats. And I think I told, "I heard you." I think that's what I said to him. And it's nice. Anytime you can get some congratulatory, anything said or the guys waiting around the green, that's always nice.

You're out here so many weeks a year, and sometimes away from your family, and the TOUR kind of becomes your family. So when you have these guys hanging around, it's special. And especially coming from him.

Q. Just back to the injury, what was the actual, the official diagnosis exactly what they called it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: My ECU tendon was barely hanging on. We had some -- the ligaments were gone, basically. And looking at it, I remember seeing all the MRIs and all the scans that we did and I'm no doctor but it didn't really look good as far as what they're telling me what I'm looking at and how it should look. I'm like it doesn't look right.

And when it's barely hanging on there's a lot of recovery, a lot of strength and stability you gotta have back in it. And that's where that soft cast basically came in handy.

Q. You mentioned you had seen some other guys have similar -- excuse me, similar injuries. Was there anybody in particular that you, golfers that had that? Who did you speak to?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's a big tennis injury. Golf, a lot of rotational sports, in your wrist. I believe Nadal or Federer had it. I can't remember. Nadal had it. There's a couple of guys, I think, out here that have had it. But you look at the possibility of never playing again or never being the same.

I do have that unique little bow at the top of my wrist where I couldn't even get in that position when it was hurting. I just move my hand in that position without it kind of hurting pretty good feeling like someone was jabbing a knife down there and to think, okay, am I going to have to change that because how long is that going to take. And you start thinking of how many years and you start trying to change your golf swing. That's not ideal for an injury.

Q. One, if at the end of the season -- and I'm asking this as a PGA TOUR player -- if you had one guy who had won two majors and another guy who had won five times plus the FedExCup no majors, who is your vote for Player of the Year?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Makes me wish I wasn't out for those four months maybe could have popped a few more Ws. But, I mean, I think the majors obviously there's a lot of weight with those.

But as far as Player of the Year race I don't see it being a lock for the fact of, what was it, Dustin, Justin and Bubba have all won three times, if they go pop the entire FedExCup and win the FedExCup, I mean that's a pretty damn good argument to have right there.

So to say it's a lock I don't think that at all. If I do what I'm supposed to do and go out and play some good golf here in these last four events and give myself a chance to win the FedExCup and win a couple of these events, then maybe it might be a different story if I pop off another win or win the FedExCup. But as of right now it's open. I don't think it's a lock at all.

Q. If you go back to Q-School in I think it was '12, second stage you missed by two shots. If you had made the -- if you had advanced that year and had at least partial Web status, have you ever wondered how your career might be different?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It wouldn't be this. I wouldn't be where I am at today. You know, going over to the Challenge Tour right away, I won I think one of the first seven events I played or something and got status. And then failed in European Q-School and in the states. I failed at both of them.

And to look maybe to spend a year on the Web, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I definitely learned a lot about myself traveling Europe and you're on your own for months at a time.

I can think of doing six-, eight-week runs instead of flying back for a week, I'd go to Sweden or go to London or Manchester, go somewhere just for a week off. And traveling the world is so much fun.

I mean, I had a blast doing it. I really did. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

Q. What do you think has been the key to playing so well in your comeback after, as you say, sitting on the couch for four months, coming back so soon and doing so well after the wrist injury?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it was I wanted to be out here so bad and when I got out here it was, you kind of -- I guess it's like having like an animal in a cage and you open that cage and they just can't wait to get out. Like I literally could not wait to go just hit balls at Zurich on the range. Like just feel the excitement of -- I think we got there on Tuesday, go play nine of, all right, I'm finally in that atmosphere, I'm inside the ropes.

The competition I miss so much. There's absolutely no competition sitting on the couch. The only thing I think I was competing on was who could eat the most. And I was doing a really good job at that. But it was -- I fell back in love with the game of golf.

Sometimes I think it's a good thing that it was taken away from me. I probably wouldn't have done what I've done this year if I didn't have that injury.

I think if I'm, if I've learned anything, it's that it can all be taken away very quickly and really appreciate where you're at, what you're doing and appreciate the moment a little bit more.

And I feel like once -- it's kind of helped me relax a little bit, too, and just really enjoy the game when you're out here, be focused and I'm a lot more disciplined, I think, since that injury.

Q. I know you addressed the Player of the Year conversation but a lot of the players I spoke to this week said it's yours. I know you don't look at it like that, that it's a lock, but what does it mean for the players giving you a salute to that's the kind of year you had?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, anytime your peers can be vocal about anybody out here or myself and they give, I guess you could say the congrats or whatever it is for winning or the nod for winning Player of the Year, I think it's special. That's what we play for to win tournaments, to win Player of the Year, to win whatever it is that your goals are. And to have the guys around you notice that it's truly special and to have some guys say that it was -- I mean, I wasn't even thinking about it on Sunday night. I hadn't -- that was the furthest thing on my mind. Sitting back and reflecting on it, how cool is it to be Player of the Year? It would be such an honor. But I need to finish it off. I want to come out in the playoffs and actually perform and hopefully leave it where there is no option.

Q. How do you play the short drivable par-4, the 12th hole, and have you done anything to prepare for that hole, specifically?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not a whole lot. Just make sure that no matter where we hit it, it's not left. It needs to be short right. You can get up-and-down from anywhere short right. I'm not necessarily trying to hit the green.

I think we hit 3-wood today and came up maybe 10 yards short, just short of the bunker in front of the green or the furthest one from the green.

And that to me is fine. You've always got a shot from short right anywhere down. You can have an uphill lie. The grass isn't as long. And then you've got the backstop of the slope on the left side.

And the only thing I could see is maybe a back flag, maybe getting a little bit more aggressive and actually getting it to the hole in that back right bunker, but I'm not really trying to hit the green there. I just want it right of the hole. That way I've got the easiest opportunity to make a 3 and at worst a 4.

Q. Any other thoughts on the course? I know it's wetter than they hoped. But just as a venue.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'll tell you the fairways are tight. Still going with the same strategy, hit driver pretty much everywhere. And I don't see a problem hitting a sand wedge out of this rough. And I know it's a little bit softer so you can still hold the greens even if you're in the rough. They're not necessarily bouncing.

But I mean you've got to be able to put the ball in the fairway. I know I'm going to miss four or five fairways, but I'm giving myself an opportunity with a wedge still. So that doesn't bother me.

If you layup with a 3-iron or 3-wood and you miss the fairway you'll be struggling because you can't hit 6- or 7-iron out of this stuff. So my length is an advantage here, but I'll be aggressive off the tee and see quite a few wedges.

I feel like we had maybe 7-, 8-, 9-irons in the holes today even though they might be long. I don't think -- the most we hit into any hole today was a little 7-iron. If I can put it into the fairway on those important holes, I should be just fine.

Q. You told us that you have special preparation for the majors. Do you have the same approach for the next coming events?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I do. I've rented a house for the rest of the playoffs. The same crew is in there pretty much. And then I'm trying to bring that attitude of how important the majors are to these weeks.

I'm trying to be better about making sure that every PGA TOUR event that I am as focused as I am the majors. And I probably haven't done the best job at that. Being conservatively aggressive in certain opportunities and getting over things probably looks like I could care less but sometimes I do run hot and I can be excited. I just won't show it to anybody because I don't think -- I don't want anybody to know.

And the quicker I can get over those things and accept what's going on and not press and not try to win because in the majors I've tried not -- I don't want to say I haven't tried to win but I've just tried to put myself in position where I think a lot of times I mean I finished second like, what, nine times in the past two years on regular TOUR events or something. And a lot of those times it's because I've pressed a little bit. Trying to win, trying to win more, where in the majors I put myself in position with nine holes to go and see where you're at and go. So hopefully I can do that a little better in the regular TOUR events.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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