LIV GOLF GREENBRIER

August 18, 2024

Brooks Koepka

Talor Gooch

Jason Kokrak

John Catlin

The Old White

Smash GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome both our team and individual champions of LIV Golf Greenbrier 2024. We are joined by Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, John Catlin, and our captain and individual winner, Brooks Koepka. Welcome, guys.

Brooks, I'm going to start with you. Tell us about the day today and when you went out today, did you go out with winning in mind?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I guess the only goal I had was just play well. It was a comfortable pairing, obviously playing with Gooch, and getting to be out there was quite fun. Obviously I've played with Jon a lot over the last few years, and it's fun to watch him play. He's definitely gotten the better of me the last couple years, so it was nice to get one back on him.

This was a nice team win, as well. Everybody played good. John played phenomenal and J played a phenomenal round today. What did he have, like an 18-footer on the last?

Yeah, he had a chance to hop in that playoff, as well. That's what you want to do when you're playing.

Q. You're the first LIV Golfer to have five individual titles. Do you think you're the best player out here?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, that's a setup question. I'm not going to answer that because I'm sure everybody will tear me apart. But you have to believe in yourself and be super confident.

I feel like this year hasn't been -- this year has not been very good. It's nice to kind of try to end it on a high note. Obviously we've got two events left, so we'll see what we can do.

Q. When you were in the media center earlier this week you said this had not been a great year for you. Does this change things at all?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, not at all. The four majors were pretty disappointing. I think I've only had two chances to win and I won them, but that's not enough.

Q. Out of these five wins that you've had, three of them have been in a playoff. Can you talk about the playoff that you just had and how that ranks and compares to the other ones that you've been in?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, Pete was probably about six holes in a playoff. I think me and Talor, we went two, maybe three. So it was nice to only go one this time and not have to sit here and hopefully get on a flight and get out of here and get back home.

I think this one just meant a little bit more, for the last few years playing Jon and obviously he got the better of me at Augusta. I just wanted to beat him.

He played phenomenal today. The way he finished down the stretch was pretty clutch, and it was fun to watch him this week.

Q. Jason, you made it to the podium this week, as well. You finished third. You had an awesome day out there today. Can you tell us a little bit about your day today?

JASON KOKRAK: Yeah, I knew that at least two of us would have to go pretty low to fend off the guys behind us or in front of us for that matter. But I saw Brooks get off to a good start. I saw Gooch got off to a little bit of a rough start. Nonetheless, I knew it was going to be a long day. It was a birdie fest. Hit a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of chances.

Very pleased with how I finished. I would have liked to be in the playoff with these guys, but nonetheless, pleased with how I played this week.

Q. Talor, you guys for Smash tied the lowest score in LIV Golf history as a team. At 53-under you tied with Ripper in Adelaide. What was it about this course that had you guys all going so low?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, all the scores were low this week. When you get a group of players like we have out here in these conditions, not much wind, soft greens that you can hold pretty easily, it's just good conditions for scoring. We've got a lot of firepower here, and when everyone is clicking at the same time, you're going to get some low scores.

I was joking with my caddie yesterday on the 13th or 14th hole, we as a team were in second, and we had two guys tied for first and another guy tied for third or fourth or something like that. I was like, hmm, that doesn't happen too often.

But yeah, when you've got guys like this up here, we've got some firepower, and it's nice when we click on the same week.

Q. John, how was your very first podium experience?

JOHN CATLIN: Yeah, it was pretty cool. That's what you always want to do whenever you tee it up. You want to give yourself a chance to win. I didn't play very well yesterday, but I came out to try and give the guys the best chance to win, and I felt like I played pretty solid. To be up there was really cool.

Q. How gratifying is it to know that your score contributed today to this win?

JOHN CATLIN: Yeah, it was huge. Thanks to Brooks for giving me the opportunity to play. I was just happy I could help out, and us being up there was truly, truly special.

Q. Brooks, this was your 31st start on LIV, your fifth win. That's like a 16 percent success rate. I assume even by your lofty standards that's pretty good?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. I mean, that's pretty good. I wish it would be a lot more. I mean, everybody does.

But yeah, just trying to go compete and go win. Like I said, I've only been -- I had a chance to win two of these, and I've pulled them off. The key is actually being a little bit more consistent.

You look at Jon all year, he's had, what, eight, nine events maybe where he's top 6 or has a chance to win on the back nine. I think that's what needs to happen for next year.

Q. John, do you feel like -- this is your fifth start, obviously, in a row. Do you feel like with every start you're kind of auditioning out here for maybe trying to make an impression for a team for next year?

JOHN CATLIN: I mean, I don't know. I'm just trying to go out there and play as well as I can. You never know what's going to happen in the future. But I would love to be out here. Any opportunity I get, I'm going to take full advantage of it, and I definitely feel more comfortable. Any chance I get, I'll be here.

Q. Jason, can you talk about adding John, a reserve player, and yet you guys still go on and win? It's a pretty good accomplishment I would say.

JASON KOKRAK: I mean, Brooks said this before; it takes four of us to win on Sunday, the way things shake out now. Regardless of him saying he struggled yesterday, he needed to come out here and play well for us to win, so he did that, and we're standing in first place. Can't say anything less about what these guys did up on stage.

Q. Talor, obviously it wasn't the greatest start today, but you fought back. Did you feel like there was a point where you could really make a push and try to get in there, or were you looking mainly on the back nine for the team standings?

TALOR GOOCH: I had an eagle putt on the 12th hole that if I had made it, had got me within maybe three with six to go. I missed that, and that was kind of my last chance to really get in the thick of it. Then I made a bad bogey a couple holes later.

From there on, it was kind of like team preservation, if you will, but then I saw -- I think maybe on the 17th hole, I saw we were up by six or something. That's a good feeling to know that, you know what, we're going to have to really screw this up in the last couple holes to not win it.

It was awesome playing with Brooks and Rahm today, and hopefully next time I'm there, I'll have a better showing.

Q. Brooks, going into 16, you were up by two. Obviously Jon birdied both those holes. Did you feel like at that point when you were walking to 16 that he would have had to do something special, or what was your mindset going into that hole?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I pretty much knew if I got to 20, I thought I would have it. Obviously 16, I had a good chance, just hit it in the correct spot. Wasn't exactly a good number for me. Just trying to play to the safety side.

Then 17, just kind of thought I hit a good tee shot, just didn't fade, went in the rough. Was trying to hit it right, it just didn't come out very good, and short left isn't exactly the best spot to that pin for a 30-yard chip shot. Hit a good chip and hit a great putt, it just didn't go in. Sometimes that's kinda how it goes.

Just got to keep battling. You never know what's going to happen.

Q. Did you have a view on Rahm's par putt there in the playoff? Did you think it was going to go in?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I was standing on the green, so I did have a view.

Q. Did you think it was going to go in?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It was tough from the side. I figured he was going to give it a good run. Played with him the last few days, and he's holed a few 20 to 30-footers that he needs to holed, kind of momentum putts. You're expecting to go back to the tee, and anything better is just a great result.

Q. Brooks, your dad has ties to West Virginia. I saw him out there. Any extra significance whatsoever to have him here and to win in this state?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it's cool to have my dad and my stepmom and my uncle here. To do it in front of them is pretty sweet. They drove down, I guess, maybe Wednesday or Thursday, something like that. It's nice to do it with them here. My dad is going to come home with me tonight, so it'll be fun. We're just ready to get out of here.

Q. Earlier this week the governor of the state, Jim Justice, talked about how this could be the last time this tournament comes to the Greenbrier. All week it seems like people say this is a pretty unique tournament. Somebody shot 60 today and they're tied for eighth. Would you guys be open to coming back here, and what kind of atmosphere of a tournament does this provide for you guys?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It's a good atmosphere. I enjoy playing, clearly. Our team does, too, if you look at the results. Look, that's a decision that's not up to me. Wherever they tell me to go play, I'll go play. We'll see what the future holds. It's been a good spot. We've enjoyed it the last two years, obviously with Bryson winning shooting 58 last year was pretty special. Kind of gave -- a crazy finish. Then this year a playoff finish. It's been good finishes here, so we'll see how it goes.

Q. Brooks, on Friday I asked you if you were thinking about being in the top 3 at all, and you were kind of just saying that good play will take care of that. Same thing or now that's more on your mind now with this victory?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I still think I'm pretty far out. I didn't look at the leaderboard to see where the guys are, but I would say I probably have to win to have a chance.

Jon was in second. I'm praying for third. Just go out and go do whatever, see where you end up. I'm not really concerned with it. I'm pretty much out of it from how I look at it, but that's my own fault from the middle of the season and the beginning. But we'll go as a team, go play well and try and climb that team leaderboard and get a good spot, maybe a bye for Dallas.

Q. Jason, on Thursday you said you were kind of teaching John some of the tricks you learned from playing here in the past. Would you say 7-under was those tricks?

JASON KOKRAK: The putter was cooperating today. I've played here a bunch of times in the past, and as I said before, John and I see a golf course very similarly. We both hit sort of a draw. We're going to see different shots a little bit different than maybe Brooks and Gooch, but nonetheless, I've played here, I want to say, at least eight or nine times now the past two years on LIV and before that on the PGA TOUR. Nonetheless, been here a bunch of times. So if I can just give a little something to somebody else who hasn't played it before, that was enough.

He played some great golf this week, and we finished in first. Can't complain.

Q. Talor, how is Smash celebrating tonight?

TALOR GOOCH: I don't think we're going to be able to celebrate together tonight. I think we might have to push it off to Chicago. I don't know. We'll do something in Chicago.