WORKDAY CHARITY OPEN

July 8, 2020

Chase Koepka

Q. Obviously being here is a little unusual circumstance. They've extended the field to 157 to allow you in after the situation at Travelers. How appreciative are you of that situation and how did you find out about that?

CHASE KOEPKA: They contacted me shortly after I kind of withdrew and let me know that, hey, once you take the proper precautions and test negative and whatnot, we're going to try to help you out with a spot as soon as you can. For me to be able to come here, it's amazing. It's my first time here, and it's a really awesome golf course. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just thankful for the people being able to extend the field. I would have felt bad if I was taking a spot away from somebody, but I think it was the right thing to do to extend the field.

Q. Going back to Travelers, how difficult of a decision was that for you having tested negative to actually withdraw from the tournament after Monday qualifying, which is a pretty difficult feat in itself?

CHASE KOEPKA: Yeah, ultimately it was tough, but it was very easy, given the circumstances. You know, being around Graeme, his caddie wasn't there, but being around Graeme and my brother and especially I stayed at my brother's house Monday night, it made a lot of sense for me to pull out. Was it very difficult? Yeah, knowing that -- but I could not play, know what I mean? And I was playing really well. But at the end of the day, I'm trying to look out for the guys out here because I know if everything is taken care of out here and everyone is safe and everyone is healthy, that trickles down to the Korn Ferry TOUR, and that's where I'm playing at right now. If these guys are safe, that means the Korn Ferry guys are going to be safe, too. I just kind of have to look out for both guys right now.

Q. Do you come in here with a slightly different attitude, with the fact that it's like I have an extra shot that I maybe wasn't going to have, given the situation?

CHASE KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I'm just thankful to be out here. Any time you can be out here on the PGA TOUR, I mean, it's awesome. Being around the best players in the world, that's what you want to do. Yeah, I mean, mentally I just feel like I'm ready to play, and I'm excited to play. We'll play a tough golf course and see what I can do out here against the best players in the world.

Q. Finally, on the golf course, I'm guessing you had a look at it yesterday for the first time. Just your first impresses when you came out here and saw it?

CHASE KOEPKA: Yeah, a lot of these greens are way smaller than they look on TV and they're a lot slopier than they look on TV. I know my brother has told me in the past that sometimes they can get these greens out here rolling really, really quick, and I can see how challenging it is. You have to drive it in the fairway out here. The rough is very penal, and you've got to hit a lot of really good golf shots out here. Sometimes par is a really good score out here from what I've heard in the past. No, it's fun.

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