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THE 148TH OPEN

July 19, 2019

Brooks Koepka

Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Q. Talk about 18.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was just in the first cut. About as close as you can get to the hole. I hit a good 9 in there and came up short. If you hit it in the first cut sometimes it spins a little bit and doesn't bounce on as far as I'd like.

Q. Perhaps the putts didn't go in, is that fair?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I didn't make a putt all week. I just need to figure that out. If I can make some putts I could very easily be 10-under, and really maybe more.

I haven't made anything. On the front nine I didn't hit it as good as I'd like. Today I didn't pitch it as good. It's tough to really score if you're going to do that.

Q. Does it feel similar to the first rounds of Pebble, being in contention, but not making anything today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Kind of. It's about the same feel. Have to go out this afternoon and figure it out. I feel like sometimes the putts haven't gone in and other times they're terrible putts.

So I don't know, just try to clean it up and make sure it's more consistent this weekend.

Q. Do you go back and look at your putts, the putts you missed today? What's the process this afternoon to figure it out?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Go on the putting green and make sure all the mechanics are there, setup and the alignment is correct. And from there just make sure the stroke is right. It's not really a speed issue. I feel like my speed has been pretty solid. Just try to figure it out.

Q. To be where you are on the leaderboard, that must make you pretty happy?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I would have liked to have holed things. I holed some putts. It's frustrating. You've just got to stay patient and just wait your turn, just like I did on 12 and 13. I haven't really hit anything too close yet, either.

I feel like some of my good shots have just been a little too far away from the hole. So if I can just clean it up just the slightest little bit I could be off and running.

Q. Is the sense that people are ignoring you again? Tommy is there, you're out here. You've got to 5-under by stealth. People are talking about other people.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm not in the lead. They're talking about everybody in the lead, who wouldn't be? I'd be doing the same thing.

Q. Do you tend to be good at figuring out issues with your long game pretty quickly and sorting out any problems? Do you find it can be a quick fix?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I find it's usually a setup thing or a little bit of stroke, just get easy with it. I already looped it a little bit, my putting stroke. And sometimes if it gets long and slow that loop gets a little bit bigger and the strike just isn't as consistent as normal.

Hopefully we'll figure that out.

Q. Given the conditions over the last two days, was there a sense of taking advantage of it out there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, today was a lot easier. You definitely could have shot a low one I felt like. Where the pin locations were and where the wind direction was coming from, there was quite a few gettable holes. Like 7, to not get that and 6, kind of the same thing.

It's a little bit disappointing at 2-under. But at the same time I'm close enough where I play a good weekend I'll be in good shape.

Q. What do you think the score is going to be Sunday?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I have no idea. If the wind blows it could be 5-under. If it's dead calm or somewhat like today the scores could get up there if we had good weather. It's all weather dependent.

Q. What would you rather?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't care. I'll figure it out when I get there.

Q. So much was made of Ricky's knowledge of the course over the last few months. Having been out there the first couple of days, have you seen that knowledge? Have you relied on him a little bit more than you might not have?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. It's a lot easier off the tee. To know where the right spots to miss it, right spots to leave yourself on the greens, make it a little bit easier for myself. It's just -- I mean, he knows this golf course, and in every wind direction as possible. Things change off the tee based off of wind direction and hole location. So he knows exactly where it put it and tells me where to go and I fire it there.

Q. Tiger said that he texted you about a practice round. Did you get that text? I know you changed your phone at the U.S. Open. He said he wanted to play with you and you were kind of cold, you didn't respond.
BROOKS KOEPKA: If I changed my phone number, how is he going to text me?

Q. On 12 and 13, you said you picked up shots there. Is that one of the big positives you can take out of this? That you were feeling the frustrations but you managed to push them aside and make a little progress?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was frustrating but at the same time you just have to wait your turn. Eventually you'll have some chances, and I did kind of coming in the last six holes. 17 was a good chance and I found a way to screw that up.

I'm pleased with how my back nine went. It was just the front nine. I could have shot 2-, 3-under on the front nine very easily.

Q. In basketball they talk about the home-court advantage. Do you feel with Ricky there's a bit of a home-court advantage with him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Sure. Obviously the knowledge of the course and the knowledge that he knows exactly where to put it, where the misses are, that's a big advantage. Playing so many rounds around here it's definitely helped a shot or two.

Q. I know you said you were a little disappointed, obviously there's some disappointment for every round. But your overall position right now, talk about that. You are in the discussion. You're there midway through.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'm hanging around, I guess. Just close enough. It's not where I want to be but I guess for not making anything it's hard to really expect to be up in the lead. So to be probably four or five back, it's okay. I'll figure it out this weekend.

Q. Did you expect to be leading?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I wanted to, but it's hard to when you don't make any putts.

Q. So you'd rather lead? Some people like to sneak under the radar.
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I'd rather be in last place.

Q. All I'm saying is you can cope with that pressure, some people can't.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'd like to have as many shot lead as possible. You never know when you're going to need it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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