Q. 5-under. Some comments on your round.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I thought I drove it really nice. Excited to see the driver to what I want. Striking it good, maybe lost a little bit of speed there on a few putts, come up a little short, maybe not hit hard enough. But the greens they're getting fast, they're getting firm, it will be interesting to see what they're like tomorrow.
Q. Two back going into the weekend, just talk a little bit about your plans for the next two days?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Hopefully keep doing the same thing I'm doing. I feel solid, you go put mistake-free rounds together tomorrow and Sunday and hopefully be there on the back nine.
Q. What was the environment like out there and did you hear anything stick out at 16 or along the way?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I couldn't believe that on the -- I've seen more fans on the front nine than I've ever seen in this tournament. Usually you get, you know, 150 maybe 200 people following on the front, sometimes it goes down to 50. But I mean there was a lot more people today. I don't know if it was just because you just get used to COVID last year or the whole, I don't think there was, I don't think they were at full capacity were they. Yeah. So, but yeah it's still more than I've ever seen so obviously there's a lot more people here.
Q. What was the give away on 16?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Oh, all my merch from my foundation and all that stuff, so hats and jerseys.
Q. Is that typical for you, you just, even during competition you are throwing stuff in there? I've seen guys do that in practice rounds.
BROOKS KOEPKA: First time I've ever done it, man. Doesn't bother me. I mean, whether I made the putt or missed it I was going to do it.
Q. Was that the same pin on 17 as Sunday or was it a little bit different from last year?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think it was probably about a pace to the right, maybe a pace long of where it was. It was pretty close.
Q. Feels like 16 gets all the press but 17 it seems a really, really good hole. Can you talk us through the difficulties of that drivable par-4?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's the best drivable par-4 on TOUR. I think maybe even the best that we play. You'll see guys make double, no problem. You put it -- if you don't put it in the correct spot you're going to be in a lot of trouble. It can be very difficult. I know, I mean, I didn't hit a good tee shot -- and that chip is still tough short of the green to any of those back pins, anything on the left side is difficult enough, ball seems to always run away. And even if you bail out off the tee it's not the easiest pitch going down hill running towards the water. I'm a big fan of that hole. I love it.
Q. Have you ever played with Sahith Theegala?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I played a couple holes with him I think at Torrey Pines one of the practice rounds. But, yeah, I played with him before. Don't know, I don't remember much about his game, but I remember he struck it beautifully. I don't remember driving, whether that was, or his iron play was great, but I remember him, just the sound of it when it comes off. It was pretty good.
Q. Being two back going into the weekend from a 17-year-old's standpoint of someone who wants to go on the TOUR, what's it like being the back-to-back defending champ or just defending champ, sorry, going into the weekend, two back, what's your mindset like how are you coping with all the like pressure and fans following you, it's just crazy?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I like it, man, I like the noise, I like the I guess chaos, whatever you want to call it. That's fun for me. But, yeah, being two back, I played pretty solid, I feel like I haven't made many mistakes so if I can keep doing that the rest of the weekend I'll be just fine. Touch a few things up with the putter with that speed, probably go work on that right now on the putting green, but it's nice, a little better position than I was last year, that's for sure.
Q. What are your thoughts on heading into the weekend like what are you thinking mentally right now heading into the weekend?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I'm thinking about that prime rib that I'm going to eat tonight. I saw Noelle, she had the little cooker out, my chef, she had a little cooker out, she was marinating those things. I'll be honest with you, I don't cook, never cooked, never claim to cook, I'm terrible at it, so thankful we got her this week and go back enjoy some food.
But go putt for a little bit, just work on some speed. But as far as mentally, just go hang out, man, we've been watching movies every night, just hanging. It's been really chill.
Q. This is Sahith's first experience in a final group, big crowds, kind of feel big. Do you remember your first round that felt big with all the pressure?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Here. Because I probably, I want to say correct me if I'm wrong you get seven starts out here, right before you have your card -- sponsor invites. So I did that and then I got Mondayed into one and ended up going my card so it was the first time I ever played here. So it's got to be here. Whenever every year the crowds get bigger and bigger louder and louder, it's great, I love it, man.
Q. In my opinion at least I feel like this is probably one of the most chaotic and like fun TOUR tournaments. Out of all the TOUR tournaments what do you think like compares to the like the energy of the Waste Management Phoenix Open?
BROOKS KOEPKA: A major in New York. Yeah, I think that's pretty specific. I think you get the New York fans, they're loud, they're on your side when you're doing well and then when you screw up, man, they're going to let you know what's up. I've been on both side of that. I go back to Bethpage, the back nine, the like the first six holes I was choking it up pretty good and they got on me pretty good. I think they were shouting D.J.'s name for about three, four minutes, from one of the greens all the way to the next tee box.
But it's so -- it like my mental like the space I'm in, it resets me. It makes me focus in a little bit harder, I think, because I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear the boos. I don't think anybody out here does. I don't know how many guys are playing this week, what is it 144 maybe or something like that, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure every guy doesn't want to hear the boos.
Q. Would you like a Ryder Cup here?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It would be a hell of a golf course to have a Ryder Cup at. I think it would be very interesting. If they can build 16, 17 -- the problem is with the Ryder Cup though you don't always finish on 16, 17, 18. You can finish before that. So you might not make it to 16. Which, but I think that would be fun to come down to the final match on 16.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports