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ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 3, 2018

Brooks Koepka

Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Scotland

BROOKS KOEPKA: I had a conversation with her and talked to her. There's nobody that feels worse about this than I did. It's a tragic accident what happened. I mean, I'm heartbroken. I'm all messed up inside. I don't think -- it definitely in my career it will be the one shot that I definitely regret, even though everyone from The Ryder Cup, PGA of America, everyone has assured me she's going to get the proper care that she needs and hopefully I can just speak to her because there's nothing more than I would love to do than just to talk to her.

Q. You won in Scotland a few years ago, and you are back now. What is your mood with your caddie?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Obviously very special. He's a big part of my success and there's a reason I've done so well. Kind of treat him this week, especially after the year we've had. To come out and be able to play is truly special. Any time you can give back, it's kind of fun and hopefully he plays well this week and he's not too nervous and he can enjoy it, and I've got my best friend on the bag. It's a really special week for me.

Q. There's been a lot said about what happened. How would you characterise the camaraderie on the team in general, and particularly your relationship to Dustin?
BROOKS KOEPKA: This Dustin thing, I don't get. There's no fight. There's no argument. He's one of my best friends. I mean, we talked on the phone on Monday -- yesterday. So you tell me how we fought. I don't know.

People like to make a story and run with it, and I mean, it's not the first time that there's been a news story that isn't true that's come out.

But as far as the camaraderie, I think the camaraderie was fine. It was perfect. You know, the problem is, you guys try to find the reason why we lost, and there's the simple reason we just didn't play good enough. We didn't make the putts. We didn't hit the fairways. You know, especially me, I lost two matches, and halved another one. If I win those, you know -- trying to think -- if Tiger wins his; if we play how we're supposed to play, we win. It's simple, we just didn't play good enough.

But there's nothing wrong with our team. Our team was great. Jim was great. You know, that's just you guys trying to find an excuse as to why we didn't win. It's just very simple.

Q. After the incident, how difficult was it for you to actually focus on golf, given the incident?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life. I haven't had too many tragedies in my personal family where, you know, there's been a loss or any kind of tragedy, accident. I've been lucky in that sense.

You know, I wasn't told until I got to the golf course. I'm not the biggest person on social media. I don't have updates come into my phone. So when I got here and I had about seven missed calls and 25 text messages, I was like, what's going on.

Then I was told the news, and obviously, like I said, I'm just really heartbroken. My stomach sank. Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days trying to focus on play golf, just knowing. And the sad part is, I don't get to play with my brother very much and I brought my caddie over here to play. There wasn't -- I wasn't very talkative. I feel like I spent probably an hour and a half of my round on the phone, and text messages, trying to understand what was going on. It's hard to get the real, you know, the real story of what was going on.

You know, if this was one of those -- if it was the Dustin thing, if it was fake or not, you want to find out; you hope it's not. But it's sad, and I really am, I'm kind of torn up about it.

Q. You said you'd been in touch with the family. Did you give her a message and what was it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'd like to keep that personal between me and her. I don't see why that's anybody else's business but me and her and her family.

It's sad. She's not going to be able to see out of her eye ever again. You know, I hit the golf ball, and that's -- it's upsetting, it really is. I don't know anyway to put it just because I hit a golf ball, someone lost sight in their eye, to really break it down to the simple part of it.

Q. You said yesterday was one of the worst days of your life. How distracting is that going to be going into this tournament? It seems to be an issue, with spectators being hit by golf balls again and again. Do you think perhaps there's more that can be done for the golfing experience?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The European Tour, the PGA TOUR, they do an unbelievable job of setup and the way fans are set up. Unfortunately, you know, we can't always hit the fairway every time. You know, that's the worst part. But they do an unbelievable job of where they set up, where they have people or just off the fairways, whatever it might be, whatever the setup might be.

You know, I guess now I can see it, why you take it for granted every week of, you know, the position and the way things are and how much work and how much thought has to go into that and the preparation. The way the Tour, both Tours do it, is unbelievable. The saddest part is, it seems like every week almost, someone gets hit.

Q. Can you explain why you enjoy coming here and why it's such a special event?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, there's obviously a lot. I love Scotland. It's where my career, I guess, kind of jumped off. It was my first start on The European Tour. It's where my final win was on The Challenge Tour. It kind of brings back all those memories. St. Andrews is my favourite place to play golf. I've said it before in different press conferences or wherever someone might ask, where my favourite place to play is, it's always St. Andrews. No question about it.

I love how the design; there's always a bunker in play. There's always trouble in play. Every time you play, it's always a little bit different. There's so many angles you have to work from the green back. It's a beautifully-designed golf course. It's so much fun to play, and kind of a shame we only get to play it twice. I'm really looking forward to this week. It will be nice to go out and play golf and play with my brother. I don't think I've played golf with him in maybe two years. The last time I teed it up with him was at the Zurich.

We don't get to play golf too often, and to be paired with him is pretty special. My family's here. They are coming over here, and I have my best friend on my bag and I have my caddie playing. You know, hopefully try to make the best of this week.

Q. The aftermath on Sunday was hardly ideal from an American perspective, with Dustin and Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth. Was that a true reflection of the mood in the team room, and what was different from the team in Hazeltine?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Like I said, the whole Dustin thing is a lot like -- I don't get it. It's actually quite funny to us. I mean, we're really good friends and there was no argument. There was no fight. I'd be curious, though, who would win in a fight. I feel like it would be pretty interesting.

MICHAEL GIBBONS: 15 rounds.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, rough and rowdy. I've never -- we've never fought. That's not our relationship. We're two even-keeled guys. I don't think -- I can't even remember raising my voice to him and I don't think he's ever raised his voice to me, ever, in our four years of friendship. I mean, that's not who we are.

You see it, we're pretty comfortable and laid back. That's just you guys trying to find why we lost and making an excuse. It even goes back to, that we got in a fight on the flight over; we're sleeping. So it's just laughable, it really is.

But you know, the camaraderie, we still have a group chat that we've been chatting on for months now. We've all been talking about it. You know, hey, wish we all could have played a little better. It's just that simple. We just didn't play good enough, and credit to the European guys. They played well.

Q. Patrick and Jordan -- saying you win as a team and lose as a team, was it not a wee sign --
BROOKS KOEPKA: I've been too busy with my own stuff to even see what's going on. Whatever happened, I don't know. It's not -- I've been texting with Patrick. I've actually been group texting with Dustin and Patrick. We were all chatting yesterday.

So there's no hard feelings. It's a team. It's the one time we're a team and no one can take away that we were the 2018 Ryder Cup Team. No one can take that away from us, and that's special to me, being a part of, you know, the team in 2016. We win as a team and lose as a team. I'm not happy about it. I can guarantee you that Jim and the rest of the guys aren't happy about it. We've all got to move on, and it happens. Hopefully next time we just play a little better, simple answer.

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Brooks, very much appreciate you taking the time this morning. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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