Travelers Championship

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Brooks Koepka

Quick Quotes

Q. How is the ankle feeling?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It feels all right. I mean, I took the first -- or, well, Monday and Tuesday off, the first few days here. Took them off. Obviously Sunday was a big day for the ankle.

I feel a lot better. Every day is better and better.

Q. So we can put that to rest? You're good to go on the ankle then?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah. This week I should be fine, yeah.

Q. Then let's start with No. 2. You birdied No. 2 to get to 5-under and we were like, Here he goes. He's off to the races. What happened after that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I have no idea. I wish I had an answer for you. It was kind of one of those freak things. Hit it real close to the bunker or the lip on the 3rd hole and probably caught it just smidge low on the face, and that's probably why I hit the lip.

We missed a couple putts. We had some aggressive lip-outs today, too. Felt like we played a lot better. Could have easily been 8-, 9-under. A little disappointing with 3-under, but didn't shoot myself out of it.

Q. No. You're certainly still in it. How important was the last hole?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, that made it feel a little bit better. I felt like 3-under at least you salvage something out of the day.

But that double, I mean, that was a freak thing. We had a little pitching wedge that went I think 180 yards. You got to make bogey there. That's the thing.

I don't think I took enough time, to be honest with you, reading that short putt. I thought I would bang it right in the back and it would go in.

It is what it is.

Q. (Question regarding Nike discontinuing golf equipment. )
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I heard that yesterday. Obviously it's a sad thing with all the guys that are working in Nike Golf, the equipment, and especially over in Ft. Worth, the guys making the clubs and doing all the stuff behind the scenes for us. I feel bad for them. They're out of jobs and things like that.

Those are the people that I really feel bad for.

Q. Interesting card today. I know you had a few lip-outs as well. Could have been lower, right?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, felt like I could have shot about 8-, 9-under. We were cruising there for a little while, and I guess reality kicked in and came back down.

But we played pretty solid. We hit the ball really well; putted pretty well. Had a couple lip-outs, but thankfully we birdied the last and made the day a little bit better.

Q. There was lots of speculation and conversation coming in because of the ankle. How did it hold up today?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Monday and Tuesday off helped. That was a big thing. Sunday was a big day with walking 36. It was pretty sore Monday and even Tuesday.

But every day it gets better and better. Doing a little rehab and all the stuff I need to do off the course, but it feels all right right now.

Q. I remember last week you were talking about pushing off your right side. When you finished today, talk about the birdie at the last. It was a 312-yard drive that set it up, so obviously you're making solid contact.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I'm hitting it on the center of the face. That helps. But I still don't think I'm fully getting off the right side. Just one of those things I can still feel it at the very end.

If you look at video from three months ago to now, my foot is not completely rolling over. I don't know whether that's just the tape, the brace, but I still feel it a little bit.

I'll be all right.

Q. You're wearing of course the Nike logos on your shoes and trousers, hat, shirt. Thoughts about the news yesterday?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Heard about it yesterday. Like I said, I feel terrible for the guys that work for Nike Golf. Mike Taylor and all the guys behind the scenes building wedges, putters, all these things, those guys are out of jobs. It's a sad day, and I feel terrible for them.

Q. Have you had a chance to sort through what's next for you equipment-wise or where you head is with that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I feel good. I feel like I'm in a good situation right now with our equipment. I don't see any changes happening. I love the golf ball and I love everything I've got in the bag. There is no point in switching if it's working.

Q. Were you told by Nike? You agent tell you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: My agent called me. Found out the news yesterday and he called me and told me about it. I haven't had a chance to speak with any of the guys, but we were doing a thing for Travelers last night and Paul Casey and Kevin Chappell were all just kind of walking through the hall and on everybody was on their phones. They had just received it.

Q. When was the last time you were down in Ft. Worth?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Two, three months ago.

Q. Did you take part in any wedge testing? They were testing on a whole bunch of stuff that obviously we're not going to see now here on TOUR. Did you test those?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm sure I did. We've got certain grooves, bounce -- well, just bounce that we use. They might have thrown some new things in there and we could have tested them out. I was pretty happy, so might have been the same old stuff we were using.

Q. I heard you were saying there was no reason for you to make any changes now. Going forward, what will be the plan after FedExCup, Ryder Cup, those kind of things?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I haven't given it any thought, man. It's literally yesterday. I've got a golf tournament to win. I'm not thinking about that. It's just disappointing, to be honest with you. Like I said, I feel bad for all the guys that work for Nike.

We've got a golf tournament to win, so that's what I'm focusing on. I don't see any changes coming in the next couple months.

Q. Did Nike reach out to you at all?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, my agent.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #179 at 2016-08-04 17:48:00 GMT

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