LIV GOLF CHICAGO

September 20, 2023

Brooks Koepka

Cameron Smith

Rich Harvest Farms

Smash GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome the captain of Smash GC, Brooks Koepka, and the captain of Ripper GC, Cam Smith.

Cam you are the returning champion here at Rich Harvest Farms, and if you win this week, you will win the season-long individual championship. You are coming off a seven-shot lead win in Bedminster; you have a ton of momentum. How much is that individual championship on your mind this week?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it's definitely in the back of the mind for sure. It's hard not to really think about. Kind of wish this tournament had of come a little sooner. Five weeks off; it's hard to say the momentum is really still there.

Yeah, it's good. It's obviously a course that I've played well on before. It's a course that I enjoy playing. You know, small, slopey greens.

Yeah, so I'm looking forward to getting out there this week and giving it another crack for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Brooks, we'll dive right into it. You're the only LIV player selected to The Ryder Cup team. This will be your fourth consecutive Ryder Cup. I have to assume that this year feels a little bit different than other years?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'm a pick this year, a little different. Would have liked to make it on my own. But it was close. Just happy to be on the team. We went over to Rome a few -- what was it, maybe a week and a half ago now. Good trip. Most of the guys were there. Got to see the golf course. It's pretty difficult, but it will be interesting to see how they set it up.

THE MODERATOR: I understand that Team Smash and you are hosting a young man this week who has cancer, and you guys are giving him a once-in-a-lifetime experience to practice with you guys and be in a Smash uniform. Can you tell us about that?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, Lucas is here with us today, and I believe Friday. So it's nice to have him and his family out. He's going through enough, might as well have some fun and get to see what goes on behind the scenes, right.

He's taken up golf. He was big into football. I think he's 16. Maybe freshman, sophomore, probably sophomore now. Yeah, he's fallen in love with golf during his chemo and everything he's been doing, so he says he feels like it's the one sport he can play and feel like a true athlete. It's exciting, and we're glad to have him out is.

THE MODERATOR: Cam, return of the Party Hole on the 17th this year, similar to the Water Hole in Adelaide, and Party Hole on 16 here. How excited are you for the return of that?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think everyone had a good time in Adelaide for sure. I think that was probably the highlight of most of everyone's year out here. It was hard not to enjoy. I think the Aussie crowd was pretty rowdy. I probably expect the same thing from the Chicago crowd. Lots of good sport fans up here. The hole looks pretty cool as well.

I think it's probably about the same distance as Adelaide. Probably going to be 8- or 9-iron, so hopefully we get a hole-in-one there as well. Yeah, it can make the crowd go off like Brooks brother did.

THE MODERATOR: Brooks, you are going to be previewing the Party Hole tomorrow with Bartstool Sports and the crew from Pardon My Take. You guys are playing a little match tomorrow. How much are you looking forward to that?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing Big Cat with no knee flex hitting the golf ball. I think that's what I'm excited for. The shit-talking will definitely be there. I know we've gone back and forth in texts over the last few days. Hopefully I win this match otherwise I'm going to hear it for a while.

Q. Do you think there will be a different sense of satisfaction winning a season-long title versus a one-week tournament title?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, for sure. It's probably prettying satisfying winning a tournament, but I think a year-long, it means you've done a lot of things right throughout the year and obviously had a good season, so there definitely will be a different sense there.

But you know, it's what we were all out here to do is to win that season-long title. It would be nice to get the Ripper Team up there in Miami, as well, and hopefully get a double would be nice.

Q. It's been a while since you've had any kind of season long title or championship in your career.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I've never won one. Yes, thanks for bringing that up.

Q. Both you guys have players that are in the drop zone right now and there's two tournaments left. Have you had the chance to talk to Chase about what he might have to do the next two tournaments and what the future might hold?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, we spent the last two weeks together. He's come to practice with me every day. Just trying to see what's going on and really take a deep dive into how he can play his best and kind of switch that up, not too much, but not results-focused this week. Trying to twitch that up and not put so much pressure on himself. Just go out and play golf and work on the things he's been working on the last two weeks.

It's always nice to see a different side. He my be thinking one way. I told him, I've been through that stretch where you're not playing well. He's working hard, I'll give him that. That's why I haven't gotten on him. I'm proud of him. He's gutted through this thing, and eventually it's going to turn right side up, and that's what I just keep telling him. I've been in those shoes two years ago. It will come around.

Q. I think he played pretty well last year.

BROOKS KOEPKA: He Top-10'ed it here last year. That would be nice.

Q. Have you talked to Jed at all?

CAMERON SMITH: Not particularly. I think like Brooks said, probably every young professional has gone through that part of their career, and it is a bit of a learning curve. But for Jed, he had the lowest round on Sunday there in Bedminster. I'm sure that was a massive confidence boost for him. The team is all behind him. We all know what he's capable of. He just needs to go out and let it go and actually do it.

It's a tough spot to be in. But yeah, the whole team's behind him.

Q. You've played majors, you're basically now playing for legacy. Do you feel the same way about a Ryder Cup?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I think everybody remembers their record, or that's kind of what you're known by, wins, losses. Poulter has pretty much made a career on that. Yeah, I think you can.

Q. I'd like to follow on that. Curious where your game is at right now. How do you feel you're sort of gearing up for next week, this week, this week, and also, do you treat The Ryder Cup like a major in terms of we know how much you've geared up for majors through your career the last five, six years. Is The Ryder Cup anywhere near that level?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think it is. My whole mindset has been to practice for that the last few weeks. Yeah, I mean, look, I think it's one of the top six, seven, biggest sporting events you can have. So I like it when there's a little bit more eyeballs, a little bit more pressure.

It's obviously different with the whole team thing. Sometimes you don't play every match so you are just cheerleading from the side, which can be quite fun as well. I've enjoyed it. It's been great and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Do you think having experienced a loss over there will be a benefit for you personally maybe to just -- there's not too many guys who have, that have been through a European Ryder Cup where the U.S. has not won in so long. Can you give these guys any insight into what they are going to be looking at?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think it's all different. I think there's different guys. There are four rookies, I believe, and I'm not sure how many guys have been part of losing teams in Europe. But yeah, it's definitely a different feeling. It's not, I mean, losing is no fun but somebody's got to do it. Hopefully it's not us this year.

Q. Having been over to the course in Italy, are you practicing any different, certain shots in terms of strategy that you can see that that course is going to demand?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No. I just treat it like any other course. Just figure out those two days, figure out where I want to put the ball in the fairway. Then it comes pretty easy. You just figure out the wind and the distance that you're trying to hit it, and you calculate that all in and that's the club you hit off the tee.

I'll worry about it when we get there next week, but more the green complexes, where things will be and stuff like that, but usually when I go scout a golf course, it's for lines off the tee.

Q. This golf course, someone said earlier, a top-100 Golf Digest. How do you like the golf course and are there any certain holes that you think are great?

CAMERON SMITH: I like the course.

BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it's a good golf course. But that's coming off a honeymoon, I was sobering up last year, I don't remember that much.

But yeah, look, I remember it being a good golf course. I believe it got kind of firm there the last day. So it will play obviously a lot different I think with the rain they got yesterday and if -- I don't know, last night. We'll see how it pans out.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it's a good golf course. I think being in the fairway is pretty key around here. Trees aren't too nice. And the greens are quite slopey, and if you get in the wrong spot around the greens, you're looking at 5 or 6 pretty quick.

Definitely a smart course. I think like Brooks said, the rain that we've had here the last couple of days, probably play a little bit different but hopefully we can see it firm up a little bit over the weekend.

Q. Have either of you guys met the owner, Jerry Rich who owned the course and designed it? Have you talked to him?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I believe last year, yeah.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, he was here last year.

BROOKS KOEPKA: I only got in last night, 9:30.

Q. Are you having dinner with him or anything?

CAMERON SMITH: I played the Pro-Am with Mr. Rich last year. I think he gave me a couple insights as to what to do around the course, so maybe he gave me a victory there.

But no, he's a good guy. He obviously loves his golf and I think he did a really good job around this golf course.

Q. You're a new dad. You're a few months into it now. Has that changed your approach to the game, to your career, to anything? Has it changed you at all?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, definitely has.

Q. In what ways?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I think now, it's more -- it's like, oh, I'll let him figure out, play golf and everything. But you start to see him, and it's more about like the hard work, about the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that no one sees.

It's, I don't want to him to have any example of somebody being lazy, being -- just dragging their butt. It's if you put the hard work in, you will get the results in eventually; doesn't matter what you do.

I think trying to get a good example. I know he's 2 months old and has no clue about that now but it becomes a hell of a lot easier when you get older. I just want him to see what hard work is.

Q. And a quick funny one, are you working on a mullet? Your hair is looking -- you've got golden locks now.

BROOKS KOEPKA: I do. I've been growing it out. Trying to figure out what I might do with it. My barber is coming in on Thursday. So I'll leave it up to him.

Q. Go for a mullet. A mullet works around here. It won last year.

BROOKS KOEPKA: I know. I know.