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THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 11, 2019

Brooks Koepka

Jersey City, New Jersey

Q. How would you assess the week?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Very up-and-down, kind of like my round today. I haven't felt comfortable over the putter. Ball flight, haven't figured it out if it's going to fade or it's going to draw. Sometimes it feels like it's going to start vest and draw, and sometimes starts right and fades. Go to the range here in a few minutes and figure it out but it's getting better.

Q. What was your conversation with Bryson?
BROOKS KOEPKA: He just walked up to my caddie and said he wanted to talk, and so I just went and found him, but keep that between us.

Q. Do you feel like whatever was needed to be said was said and it's all ironed out?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. I'll go talk to him when we're done playing or when he's done playing.

Q. Was it cordial?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was fine. No issues.

Q. Do more players need to do that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think there -- everyone out here, probably a little bit more afraid of confrontation than in other sports. I think you see that. Baseball, you'll see it. Teammates go at each other and they are still fine. Football, same thing. Basketball, I mean, you name it. There's always been some confrontation on a team. Sometimes it helps and you figure out what the root of the problem is, and start working on it.

Q. Bryson talked to us yesterday, and he was pretty passionate trying to depends himself and he felt singled out. Do you think there's any merit to that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, it's not just him. We'll make that clear. It's not just him. I know he feels singled out, especially when I'm speaking about it. But it's like I told him, it's not -- I've mentioned his name once, and that's it.

There's so many guys out here where it's become an issue, and obviously him being probably the best player that's relatively slow right now, he's going to be on TV a lot more, so you're going to catch a lot more of those type of instances.

Q. Do you feel like -- this has really become a louder issue. You've been very out spoken about it and a lot of guys are stepping in. Can you see the TOUR taking some action?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think there's a couple things. I think, first off, the issue is it's in the rule book. So if they take it out of the rule book, then you've got nothing to complain about. It's just like hitting it in the water, I have to take a penalty stroke. I've said that. I don't want to take a penalty stroke, and if you take longer than 40, you'll be penalized. Like I said, I'll be the guinea pig. Penalize me. I know the rules officials have said it before -- they don't have the balls to penalize us.

If I go over 40, penalize me. It's one of those things where, you know, if it's going to happen, then you know, put it on me. I'm the one that's talking about it probably the most out of any other player.

Q. I think more what I meant there, is it's in the rule book but not being --
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it's not being enforced by the rules official.

Q. Do you think there will be change to that at some point?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know. I think a lot of it, you know, has to come down to the rules officials enforcing that. Maybe USGA or R&A when they put the rules in the rule book going forward. There's a lot of things that they could do.

But I think it starts with, you know, players talking about it and that's how things change. I think that's how a lot of things with the tour change. Players see things and they view problems and you know they comeuppance with solutions, and that's the phase we are trying to get into right now.

Q. Do you respect the fact that at least he came to seek you out and talk to you one-on-one, as opposed to just letting it fester publically?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't think it -- like I said, I mentioned his name once. So I don't think I've come at him. I just talked about slow play, and obviously he feels I'm talking about him every time.

Q. Did he feel like you were coming at him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I guess so, but I mean -- I mean I see it a little bit, but on the other side, I've never mentioned his name. There's a lot of people. You know, hopefully we'll figure it out here when we go talk here in a couple minutes.

Q. A lot of people, the majority of players, want something done, some form of action --
BROOKS KOEPKA: Sorry, what's the first part?

Q. Seems the majority of players want something done?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I would say most players. Most players do -- if they are not as vocal, a lot of times they are not asked the questions probably as much as I am. But I feel I've got a lot of players that have comeuppance to me and said good job, glad you're speaking out about it.

I think as players, we do realize there is a little bit of an issue.

Q. The PGA TOUR official position per Tyler Dennis in a conversation today is that the rule is not meant to focus particularly on specific shots. It's the overall time that is taken per round, so he brought up that some of the weekend rounds have finished early. So that official position seems like there's a disconnect with what you're saying.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, obviously in twosomes, it's a lot easier, and being out quite early, it usually goes a little bit quicker. Obviously there's certain instances where it's okay. You do end up taking a little bit longer, but at the same time, you know, it's becoming a habit and that's where the problem is I think.

Q. In your own example, you've said, "Penalize me." But just to get to that point means the group has to be out of position, and then you have to get a warning. Is that where the issue lies?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think a lot of times, if you go with the -- I guess you're out of position, is that should be your warning. Just get rid of that one warning. They have already comeuppance to tell you that you're out of position, so that's technically a warning. Maybe just get rid of that.

I understand that there are certain instances, like 17 yesterday. I had two rulings on the same hole. So you know, there are certain times where it does take a little bit longer with having rules officials come. But us as players, we know what's going on. We know that there's a ruling. But when you're hitting a shot, it's a bit excessive.

Q. So how do you convince slow players that they are slow? Because we know that slow players don't think they are slow?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah.

Q. How do you convince them?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think you've just got to sit back and look in the mirror and reflect on and watch a video of yourself.

I did that in college. I had a guy when I was dealing with, what I've always talked about, I've had anger issues on the golf course. I had a guy come film me and I watched myself through the entire round. He would come out to Seminole when I was at Florida State and he would film a couple of the qualifiers, things like that, and I was able to see how I reacted, and it made a big difference.

I think sometimes if they were to just go back and look at the video, it might help. It might make them realize how slow it is. Yeah, that helped for me, just with anger. I'm not saying that's the solution, but if you can get back and see some tape of yourself and realize that it's a 10-footer, there's not much that goes into it, you know, that's where I don't understand it.

Q. Are you at all hopeful this will ever change?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I hope so. But I think it comes down to rules officials enforcing it, players enforcing it. It's one of those things where if it's the wrong timing; if we've got a par 5 in front of us and you take two minutes and the group in front is waiting, they are just going to say, well, we are right there on pace for the group behind us.

You know, I'd just like to, if it's going to be in the rule book, then I would just say enforce it. But if they get rid of it in the rule book, then I've got nothing to complain about.

Q. Was your fast start today anything to do with what fired up that conversation or just a coincidence?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, just played good. I played good for six holes. That was it. Didn't happen very much this week but for six holes, it did.

Q. You talked about how golf isn't a confrontational sport, but would you be cool if other guys were like, hey, if somebody thinks I'm slow, come to my face, would you be cool going up to those guys?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'd have no problem. If I ever do something wrong, if I ever walk out in front of anybody and stand in their line 30 yards in front, you can come find me. (Laughter).

Q. So you're not going to play with Brandel?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't play golf in off-weeks and I'm definitely not going to play with him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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