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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

October 24, 2018

Brooks Koepka

Shanghai, China

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: We'd like to welcome Brooks Koepka to the interview room.

Welcome to the WGC-HSBC Champions. Second in this event here last year; the obvious target is to go one better this week.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, that would be nice.

Any time I come here -- I like this golf course. I like the way it sets up. Obviously last year was a little bit disappointing but the way Rosey played, finishing that off was impressive, and you know, hopefully build on that.

I like the golf course. I like the way it sets up and you know obviously coming off a win, I feel like my game is in good shape. So hopefully attack this golf course this week and come out with a win.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Coming off the win at the CJ Cup last week in Korea, how important was it for you to get back to winning ways after the solid year you've had with those major wins?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was nice. To start the year off with a win is something you always want to do. 1-for-1 is always nice. Just got to build on that. I feel like I've built a lot of momentum throughout the year and obviously only a week off in between, it felt like, so there wasn't much of a gap.

To build that momentum and kind of build on what I've done this year, was key, and hopefully, you know, it rolls over into this week and then have a few weeks off to kind of figure out what I need to work on and what needs to get better, and go from there.

Q. Being the world No. 1 right now, what is the toughest challenge that you have had to face recently?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know, I've only been world No. 1 for three days. I haven't found too many challenges in those three days.

But I'm looking forward to this week. Looking forward to teeing it up as No. 1. I think that's something every golfer kind of dreams of and every golfer wants to accomplish. I'm looking to build on that lead, grow it, and that way I can be No. 1 for a while. The goal isn't just to get here; it's to stay here.

Q. When you started your career, obviously you played in Europe on The Challenge Tour and then on the main tour, and then you're obviously a global player. Has that helped you achieve what you've achieved in the game; the fact that you feel comfortable travelling?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it makes me appreciate everything a little bit more. You know, starting out, going to The Challenge Tour and playing, and you know, look back on it and sharing four or five guys in a taxi piled in with luggage and you can't see anything and packed to max. It was the most fun I had playing golf. Travelling the world at 21, 22 years old is pretty special but I think it made me appreciate everything.

It's definitely a lot easier now. You know, more comfortable obviously in the States, where I can go to a movie theatre and watch in English, go to a sporting event, whatever it might be.

But when you first -- when you're overseas, you don't know anything. Sometimes you don't know the language. The cultural difference is kind of weird. That was kind of maybe eye-opening but it just makes me appreciate everything now and where I came from.

Q. When Justin Rose came back from eight strokes back to win here last year, probably the furthest thing from his mind at that point was winning the FedExCup, but you fast forward to September and the victory here, obviously played a big part in winning the FedExCup. You've won once already. You're here now at a World Golf Championships event. How important is a start at this point in the season to the FedExCup at the end of the year and making it to East Lake?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Big. You want to get off to a good start. It's a big thing. A WGC, there's obviously more FedExCup points. That plays a role in that.

You want to get off to a good start. You want to get in the top five, top ten and make sure you stay there. I think that's the goal. You don't want to be having to play catch-up, and at the end of the year, I think it makes it tough. Makes you have a little bit more pressure, if you're going to put pressure on yourself to make it to East Lake.

You know, that's the goal for me every year, to make it to East Lake. It's something you don't want to miss. You want a chance to win the FedExCup and that would just cap off an unbelievable year, but you need to start it off right.

Q. One of the things that separated your year, Brooks, was when you were on the back nine in a key moment, you've been able to deliver. Whether that's CJ Cup with a 29 on the back nine or what you were able to do at the PGA Championship. There's a couple shots within those back nines that if you look back, were really key. Are you able to identify those in the moment, and how do you identify, okay, this shot, is really going to be key in my chance to win or are you trying to execute one at a time?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm just trying to execute one at a time. But I think you kind of know when that moment hits, when it feels like a big putt.

Last week, I thought for me -- people probably go to 16 -- but 15 felt like the big putt. I didn't know Gary was making birdie as I was making birdie but I felt like if I went up two, he's running out of holes, and I've got a few holes, an extra hole and a half to play. So I can actually build on that, and another hole to make birdie on.

So even in the U.S. Opens, the PGA, there's always a moment where you feel, if I make this or if I do this, this is going to cap it and you're going to win. Those are when it's fun, like I enjoy that. I look forward to that shot. I look forward to that feeling of, hey, I've got the opportunity to really close it out here and that's what I want to do.

Q. Is there a particular way that you identify that? Is it a crowd reaction? A leaderboard? Or is it just you feel it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's more, you can tell by if you look at the leaderboard. I guess there's a million leaderboards out there. So it's kind of hard not to watch them, look at it and know where you're at. But you're not really thinking about, Oh, this is -- if I make this, I win. Like, okay, this is an important putt. So you give it maybe -- maybe I give it a little more attention or whatever it might be. But I just know that that's going to be a momentum shift in my favour if I can get it to go. I don't know, I enjoy that. I enjoy having that important -- to me, it kind of feels like life or death. Like, okay, this is what I have got to do if I want to win a golf tournament.

If you're not going to embrace it and enjoy it, enjoy that moment, then I don't think you're ever going to capitalise on those moments.

Q. For the WGC-HSBC Champion, it's a big event. Actually one of the highest prize money events in the world. How do you think that the tournament itself can improve so that it can attract more and more top-tier U.S. and world golfers to come and participate in this tournament?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think they are doing a great job thus far. I wouldn't change anything as of right now. I think you look at it, and you get the best players in the world to come over here. I mean, I know a lot of the guys in the States, they have got to travel, you know, 16, 17 hours just to get here, but yet the guys are doing it.

So there's a reason that they are going to come over here. It's a WGC. It's an important -- you know, these eight events, the majors and WGCs, are what you want to play and what you want to win. And when you're done, when you're done playing, those are what people remember you for. They remember you for the majors that you've won, the WGCs, things like that.

So it's an important event. I wouldn't -- I think what they are doing right now is an unbelievable job. The way they treat us here is fantastic. The fans are awesome. It's a fun golf course to play, and I think that right there speaks for itself.

Q. At what age did you start feeling that you can play better than the same age kids or same age youngsters? And how many hours per day do you spend in the gym room?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I would say -- I don't know, when I was young, I always felt like I could beat everybody, even if I didn't beat them. I always felt like I was better than them, from when I was like seven, eight years old, even though if I didn't win, I still felt like I was better than the kid.

It's something I've always felt. I feel like I'm a very good player but sometimes the results don't always speak for themselves. I mean, I didn't win in college until my senior year. Sometimes some people are a little bit slower developing and I guess I was one of them, and then to hit my full potential -- and I'm not even there yet. Hopefully that hits.

But in the gym, I don't know, probably -- well, right now it's about to change. There's going to be a lot more time. But I would say at least an hour and 45 every day in the gym. I know when we go back home, it's off-season, so that will probably change into about three or four hours.

Q. Going off that, there's a difference between feeling like you can win and expecting to win. Which one are you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I always feel like I can win. I wouldn't show up if I didn't feel like I can, but I expect to win. I know it's unattainable to win every week. Nobody can do that.

I want to give myself the best chance that I can, and I always feel like I can win. Doesn't matter where I'm at, what golf course, even if it doesn't set up for me.

But there's always a feeling that I can always win, and I think everyone that tees it up will say the same thing. If you don't feel like you win, then you shouldn't be here.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Thanks for coming down and all the best this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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