MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2023

Brooks Koepka

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome Brooks Koepka to the media room. A 65 yesterday, a 67 today, bogey-free including playing the par 5s 5-under. Talk us through your rounds.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was really solid. Didn't really do too much wrong. Maybe the speed kind of got me on a few putts. Wasn't hitting them hard enough there towards the end, but striking the ball really well and leaving it in good spots.

And that's what you've got to do. You've got to make birdies on these par 5s, take advantage of them. And did a good job of that, playing them 5-under.

Q. You're obviously feeling a lot better than you have been in the past. As far as timelines go, when did you start to really turn the corner and think, okay, I can get back to the player that I was before?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Probably towards the end of last year, I felt it, it was coming. It wasn't exactly all the way there. Probably, I'd say January I knew I was back. Just from working with Claude, working with A.C. in the gym, I knew everything was right where it needed to be strength-wise, mobility-wise and being able to do things with the golf swing.

Q. When you won four majors from 2017 to 2019, seemed like you couldn't lose, and you knew it. How similar is this feeling?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know, I don't think too far ahead. I just take it right now. The feeling is probably pretty similar. I feel really good. I like the way I'm swinging the golf club, putting it, chipping it, driving it, iron play is solid. It feels really similar.

Q. How much doubt crept in during that period, and were the frustrations mounting so much that you thought you would never return to the player that you were?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I never -- the only time I ever thought about not playing was if I couldn't move the way I wanted to. If I wasn't going to be able to move the way I wanted to, I didn't want to play the game anymore.

It's just that simple. There was definitely moments of that. Last year was pretty tough. Just a lot of frustration. Felt like I should have been ahead of where I was. Some other things off the course happened, and it just doesn't put you in a good mood, and it's tough to wake up every day and go through the whole grind, and it takes you 20 minutes just to get out of bed and move it.

But a lot better now. It's kind of changed up the workout routine a little bit and started working with somebody different. It's been a huge help being able to get the strength back.

Q. You mentioned your mobility and being able to move in certain ways. Wondering what specifically you can do with your golf swing now that you couldn't do before because of your injury?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I guess, when the knee was messed up, it was -- I was afraid to get back on it to load it, my right side, and then so I was always -- it was more of a stack and tilt. I was just getting the left side and then back up out of it. The awkward lies were not fun. But now it's so much easier to be able to load, get that full turn or rotation going back.

It's tough when you're just playing it on your left side and afraid to -- there's no power there, either. That was part of the frustrating part.

Q. What kind of an impact would 50 degrees and damp weather have with the knee? Would it affect the feeling that you have in the knee with your swing tomorrow?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It should be fine. I go through pretty good warm-up routine and Marc Wahl, my physio, gets it moving, and I'll probably go to the gym in the morning. I'll be fine. I'll be loosened up, and plus, I think probably -- at two o'clock or whenever the last tee time might be, it will definitely be a little bit warmer. Towards the end, I've already moved it for four and a half, five hours, so I don't expect anything.

Q. A couple things. Waiting for your putt for eagle on 13, you must have been in a crouch like a catcher's stance for close to a minute. How good did that feel compared to two years ago when you couldn't even look at a putt? Secondly, on putting, I just wonder if you can speak to the number of six- to eight-foot par putts you made on the front nine at the start of your round.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'll just speak on the putts. I think they were just big momentum putts, and I think that's one of the things that's kind of been lacking, along with playing bad, making bad decisions, has just been kind of those momentum swingers. They haven't gone in for me. But also you create your own momentum, anyways, and I think making those was huge, just kind of going forward, getting through the rest of the round, trying to keep it bogey-free and then was able to do it.

But as far as crouching down, it feels good. It feels really good. Being able to just get down and not have to think about it, because every time I went down, I was reminded of it. I was reminded of the slip, the trying to put it back in and then finally getting it to go in and the rehab and all that stuff. Every time I went down, I was just angry with myself because I was just thinking, man, how stupid is this.

Q. Only 20 men have won five or more majors. Have you allowed yourself to think about what adding another one would mean, or specifically this one, to your legacy?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, the whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right. I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won British Opens as well. Look, I guess it's one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I've done what I should have accomplished in this game.

Q. You just said the feeling is pretty similar to what it was between 2017 and 2019, and you said you feel a lot better. How far do you think you are from the Brooks of 2019?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't think far off at all. I mean, I've got a completely different knee, so the normal is a little bit different. But swing-wise, it still feels the same. I'm able to do everything I need to. And the confidence is there. The confidence was lost just because of my knee and that was it.

Q. On a scale of one to ten, how close are you?

BROOKS KOEPKA: On a what?

Q. On a scale of one to ten, how close are you to Brooks of 2019?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know. I'm, what, three years older? So that makes a big difference.

I don't know, I feel the same, man.

Q. When you reviewed the video of 15 yesterday, what did Ricky explain as what he said? What was he saying at that point? It really looked like he was saying five.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think what they said was they were signaling to somebody else or he was signaling to somebody of what it was. It wasn't Butchie. Because they asked us what we hit walking down the fairway, so they had no idea.

Q. When you said last week that you missed playing against Rory and Scottie and the like. How much of that is playing against them like being around or practice rounds or whatever, and how much of it was like competing at this highest level?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it's all just competing. I see those guys down at The Grove all the time. I see the guys at Medalist. I see guys just out and about practicing. I think there's probably about, what, six of us that live probably within a quarter mile of each other. So we end up running into each other a good bit.

But it's just competitively where you miss playing against them, right. Because you want Rory to play his best and Scottie to play his best and Jon to play his best and go toe-to-toe with them. I do miss that, and that's one thing that I do miss, and that's what I think makes these majors so cool.

Q. How do you feel about only having a couple shots a year? How does that kind of sit with you?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It is what it is. It's the situation we've got right now, so I can't do anything about it. I just go play.

Q. No. 8, to get to that front pin, what are you thinking there? How do you execute that one, and is that a shot that you could not make on an uneven lie with your knee a couple years ago?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Definitely not a couple years ago. The uphill lies were killer just because I couldn't get my weight going forward and couldn't push off.

I think we had 256 hole. And to be honest with you, there was a bit of mud that was stuck on the front of the ball that was kind of odd and kind of wasn't sure if it was going to fly off or what it was going to do. But you know, luckily it was right where it needed to be. I thought it was a good number, but you're not trying to go past that pin and you're trying to leave it short, where Danny Willett chipped in from.

Q. And the club was?

BROOKS KOEPKA: 3-iron.

Q. You were pretty determined to play in this tournament a few years ago right after you had had surgery. What drove that decision? Why play instead of get healthy and miss?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I just didn't want to miss this. I've missed enough majors. I missed this one in, I think it was the year P-Reed won. I missed the major Bryson won. I missed like three or four through that whole stretch of 2016 to 2020. I missed a good bit of them, and I wasn't -- I don't know, just tired of it. I felt like glass was always breaking. It's not fun. But I feel a lot better now. To be here is special. It's a special event.

Q. Is there an extra pressure to know if you're effectively playing for future exemptions given the current situation around rankings?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, if you play well enough, you should still be in the Top-50, if you play well enough in all the majors. But yeah, if you win one here, it kind ticks a lot of boxes, doesn't it.

Q. How much of a change did you have to make in your swing and once your knee feels better and the role of Claude and all that?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I think I got probably to the low point when we were at Trump's place in Bedminster. Walked in the locker room, and I think my physio Marc Wahl was waiting for that true low point to hit. I said, I think I need to go back to Claude and start working with Claude again. Doing it on my own wasn't working for me.

Claude's helped a tremendous bit, right. I got, to me, I think some of the three best coaches in the game. You've got Claude, Pete, and Jeff working on -- Claude is working on full swing, Pete is working on short game, and Jeff is working on putting.

It's definitely a lot of changes and a lot of weird feelings, but it's the same stuff we worked on from 200- -- I don't know when we started working, 2012 or 2013 to the point I left.

Q. Is it the same swing as it was, or has things changed because of your leg?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, nothing's changed as far as I know. If it is, he hasn't told me.

Q. Is that the time there when you went back to Claude, is that when the confidence started to turn around, or did it take a little while? It had been maybe as late as when you won in the fall, or can you pinpoint when you started to see that mindset change?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It definitely didn't happen right away. I think there was a few -- a few moments where it was like, okay, I can see it, something on the horizon. It's coming, definitely getting better.

But it really didn't -- even in -- we played and won in Saudi, I still didn't feel like I had it fully back. I didn't -- I thought it was just kind of okay. I just got it around really well.

But yeah, like I said, I think it was probably -- probably right around -- we got done in Miami, I think, what was that, October, November, when I was like, okay, this is definitely getting -- the end of November, it was getting pretty good and then, you know, January kind of all started clicking.

Q. What happened in Oman this year? Was that just a blip or -- obviously just the result, you missing a cut at that event, at least on the surface doesn't look good.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, well, on Friday, I kind of got -- I don't like to make excuses, but I kind of definitely didn't have a good tee time. It was blowing pretty bad and I wasn't under full control of my golf ball. So that played a part.

I mean, a lot of it's on me, but, you know, when it's blowing 35, it's very tough. And I've always, you know, historically kind of struggled on slow greens. So it was a combination of putting bad and not being able to control your ball.

But, you know, I was just playing to get reps. I needed more reps. I thought three events wasn't enough, and that's why playing there, playing four days and going out there and seeing where I was at, I mean, it ultimately led to last week and this week. So it played a part.

Q. Obviously the Friday of last year's Masters was a bitterly disappointing day; this is clearly a very satisfying day. I just wonder emotionally if you can kind of reflect on the journey you've been on in the course of the intervening year.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think last year, I don't even know if I should be saying this, but pretty sure I tried to break the back window with my fist of the car, I tried to put it through the back window, not once but twice. First time didn't go, so figured try it again.

Yeah, it was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. But like I said I've come a long way since then. A lot of it, it's pretty much all health-related.

Q. 12-under on Friday. Faldo, Woods and Cabrera have won on that number. Is it sort of frightening to see what you can do? Because you mentioned this yesterday that you left some shots. Today also did you feel maybe you left those shots on 9 and 10? And the second part of it is what kind of mindset do you need going into Saturday, Sunday to make sure that you're not taking the foot off the pedal?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Same mindset. Got me this far, so it should be all right on Saturday, Sunday. It's just up to me whether I play good or not. Simple.

But yeah, like I said, I like the way I'm playing. It's just -- I've seen it coming for a little bit so I'm very pleased.

Q. And also being at 12-under on a Friday, is that sort of something that you can prepare for before Thursday?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Sorry?

Q. Being 12-under through Friday; that something that can even cross your mind at the Masters before starting your round on Thursday?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know. I just take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time, whatever I got in front of me. I don't think far ahead at all. I'm just interested in the shot I'm looking to hit at that current moment. I'm not thinking one hole ahead or if I birdie this I'm going to get to that. Whatever the moment is, just go with it.

Q. You feel you left some shots there today?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Today? You always leave shots out there.

Q. If you had been this healthy at the time, would the LIV decision have been more challenging?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Sorry, the first part?

Q. If you had been as healthy as you are right now, would the LIV decision been more challenging?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Honestly, yeah, probably, if I'm being completely honest. I think it would have been. But I'm happy with the decision I made.

Q. Just to follow up on the incident with the back window of the car, did that happen here? And the second shot, did you crack the window?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No. No, the window did not break.

Q. The window survived?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, apparently not strong enough. It was just right outside the -- whatever you want to call it, the caddie hut or whatever. The ride home was pretty silent. I think just a lot of frustration. But yeah, I guess Mercedes makes a pretty good back window.

Q. You said you wouldn't have kept playing if you didn't feel like could move the way you wanted to. Would you have played golf for fun or just done playing golf?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Good question. I think I probably would have picked them up occasionally, a couple times a year, but that would have been about it. To me, it's my job, I love it, yeah, but it's not my life. You know, it's very difficult to say. I think if I definitely put them down, it would have been lucky to play maybe twice a month.

Q. You were saying that when you won in Saudi, you were not at the top of your game and you didn't feel very confident at that time. But how important was that week and the fact that Chase's birthday was that week and the things that your team did, how important was that week?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It came at the right time. I think I definitely needed it. But like I said, there's just a lot going on in my life. It just came at a perfect time. Whether that -- I don't know if that spurred a little bit of confidence or what else it did, but just kind of kept it going to where I didn't feel like, all right, I can't do this anymore. I felt some momentum starting to build. It did, and it's led me to this.

Q. Did you get the bright car that you wanted to get for Chase?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Oh, for my brother, yeah. I think we landed, we got back from Saudi Monday and I think we went Tuesday and he got his car. He's got a white one.

Q. You showed a side that a lot of golf fans haven't really seen when you participated in the Netflix show. Since that show has come out, have you seen a warmer embrace from fans?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know. I think, to be honest with you, I've gotten kind of mixed reviews on that one. Some guy had a good chirp last week as I was finishing up, coming down 18. He was chirping, he said, We all saw Netflix; we know what you're going to do. I thought that was pretty good.

You have some people that think that way and some people that just think, hey, they get to see a different side of me that they normally don't get to see because, like I've always said it, what you see on the golf course is not what you get off it.

Q. Yesterday after when you reviewed things when the committee, did you look at video? And besides what Ricky was seen mouthing, did you review what looks like your hand showing the letter five very briefly?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, we were just -- when I finished today's round, they were brought in -- like I said, I'm taking my glove off. The last thing I'm going to do is give it to Gary Woodland, the U.S. Open champ. And the funny part about it is I think if he would have known we were hitting five, he would have hit six because I don't think Gary is that short and he's 10 in front of me, 12 in front of me?

Q. But you looked again today?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. Today was just about my -- I guess my hand and my glove. I don't know if you're supposed to take your glove off with your fist closed or what now.