Travelers Championship
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Brooks Koepka
Quick Quotes
Q. Brooks, nice birdie at the last, but how bad is the ankle right now coming off a fourth place finish last week at the PGA after we talked in break that not playing the majors the past few weeks has not been fun for you.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it's not fun anytime you're sitting at home and the guys are playing, especially in a major. But it feels all right. Every day is better and better. I'm doing things off the golf course, rehab, doing everything every day. Just keep doing what I'm doing, it's fine. Any time you play good, it feels a little better.
Q. Now, is it to the point where if it wasn't a Ryder Cup year and you weren't kind of in the mix, would this be something you'd be rehabbing at the house or do you think you'd be good to go because you're itching to get out on the course?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, I'm itching to get out, too. It actually was a really good break. I feel really mentally recharged. It's nice to be truly excited to be out here, and every time you're playing a hole, you're excited, you can't wait to go hit the next shot, and that's kind of how it is right now.
Q. Are you going to let me touch your putter the rest of the day, because it was pretty hot out there, 24 putts. How big was the hole for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I felt like it's been pretty big for a while now. I've felt like we've putted really well. The speeds are really good. Yesterday was a little bit off, but I did some work and felt good today.
Q. How much easier was the back nine playing today? Is it all about where the wind was blowing because the front nine played a little harder this morning?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The front nine is a bit tough, I think. The back side, you can get it if you're putting it in the right spots, but the front side, if you can turn 1, 2-under, you're doing something right.
Q. Do you feel like you're in great position for Sunday?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'm sure I'll be two or probably three back going into tomorrow, but I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, throw another 64 up there and I should be all right.
Q. A little bit of a different vibe on a Saturday with the split start and the early tee time. Did that play into how you played today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think so. I mean, you get nine holes of fresh greens, which was nice, but it was an early wake-up call this morning.
Q. You've had a lot of success since coming back from your ankle injury, T4 at the PGA. What has led to that instant success?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it's just being fresh. You're excited to be out here and excited to be playing. It's just fun right now. I know that helps when you're playing well, but I'm just really excited to be out here and playing.
Q. What leads to the fun? I know it's the success and everything, but it's got to be also just -- internally, what's your feeling?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, to be at home sitting there watching the British Open, you get kind of anxious, anxious to be out here, and that's kind of what -- that's kind of how it's felt. I just wanted to get back out here, make sure I was on the Ryder Cup team, and try to get that win. This year, I mean, obviously I didn't do it in a major, which was a little bit disappointing because I felt like I really could have last week, but I need to get a win.
Q. What about out here this week?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It would be a good opportunity right now.
Q. Out 1-under, back in 5-under par, 64, you've got to be pleased.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I felt like I played pretty well. The putter was hot today. I struck it a little bit better, too, so that always helps. I just feel like that hole is pretty big right now.
Q. The other day you were telling me that the ankle is still wrapped and you weren't sure how you could fire off the right side. Has it gotten better through the progression of the week?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, every day is better and better. I've still got to taped up, still got a brace on it. Probably over the next two weeks will really try to progress and get off the brace, get off the tape and things like that, but just keep doing rehab and it should be fine.
Q. Obviously as a touring professional you're coming in with objectives this week, obviously to win, but your overall objectives in terms of where you're at right now?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I feel like my game is in good shape. I still want to make sure I play well and solidify the Ryder Cup. I don't think mathematically I'm fully on there. But a good week this week guarantees that, and you want to be playing well going into the Ryder Cup, and that makes it fun.
Q. Aggressive mindset for tomorrow then?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, exactly, just keep doing what we're doing. I feel like we've been pretty aggressive. We've aimed at some back pins, where normally we'd probably come up a little bit short, wouldn't be as aggressive, but the greens are a little bit firm, they've got a little nice bounce to them, so you can actually hit some low shots in there and have them bounce back.
Q. Three straight birdies there at one point. Looked like you really had it going there.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, played pretty well on the back side. The front side was a bit up and down. Front side is pretty tough. On the back side you can take advantage. You've got the par-5s, you've got the short par-3, and you've got wedge in your hand on almost every hole on the back side, so you've really got to take advantage.
Q. Are you noticing the guy next to you is also matching you birdie for birdie? Do you ever look what the other guy is doing that you're playing with?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't really care. I'm just out there more focused on what I'm doing, but it always helps when someone is playing well. You get in a rhythm, get in a groove, but to be honest I didn't even know what they did, but Daniel played pretty well.
Q. What's the status of your ankle now?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's better and better every day. Still doing rehab, still doing everything I need to do, but the better you play, the better it feels.
Q. Do you still have the brace on it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, brace and tape still.
Q. Any idea how long it's going to last?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Probably try to transition out of it next week. It feels really good right now. Today is actually the best day it's felt. I think Monday and Tuesday didn't quite feel so well from last week, but today is definitely the best it's felt in a long time.
Q. Were there any thoughts of not coming here and take a little break from the schedule to rest it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I wanted to make sure I was on Ryder Cup. That was a big thing in my mind. I wanted to get the first win for the year. I'm playing well, so why not.
Q. You've got to like your chances for tomorrow. Do you feel good?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I feel good, obviously playing pretty well, carrying some momentum off last week, and just need to keep doing what I'm doing, and I should be fine.
Q. What were some things you were pleased with today about your round?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The putter was pretty hot today. We hit it a little bit better, too. It helps when you're hitting it a little closer, but every time we were 15 feet, it felt like the putts were dropping. We didn't really put ourselves in too bad of a spot, and if we did, we kind of got up-and-down. It was a little disappointing on 2 to make bogey, but it could have been a real good number.
Q. With the way the leaderboard looks, do you have a sense of how aggressive you're going to have to be tomorrow?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know, it depends on what the weather is going to do. I don't know if it's supposed to really storm or --
Q. Supposed to this afternoon.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I haven't looked at it, so I don't know what it's going to do, but if it softens it, it could be interesting. It could be like last week where they throw all these back pins on you and it's so soft, and the greens here are back to front, also, so it's hard to get it all the way back there. You've really got to watch the spin, especially on the back side with all these wedges. It could be interesting if it's really wet.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #166 at 2016-08-06 16:12:00 GMT
