Brooks Koepka Press Conference | 2024 PGA Championship Round 1

Reigning champion Brooks Koepka’s press conference following Round 1 of the 2024 PGA Championship from Valhalla.

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Contested each May, the PGA Championship is the second major championship in golf’s annual rotation, and perennially features the strongest field in the men’s game based on the Official World Golf Rankings. Known for dramatic finishes and notable champions, the Wanamaker Trophy—which has been awarded to the winner since 1916—is inscribed with names such as Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player.

The 2024 PGA Championship is set to take place between 13-19 May at Valhalla Golf Club. The reigning champion is Brooks Koepka.

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Brooks Kea is with us now Brooks 4 under today what are your thoughts on your opening round I thought it was solid um feel like I just kind of stayed patient to the whole thing it was pretty ho hum I felt like the only time hit one bad Drive made made bogey there on 17 drew a pretty brutal eye on the right rough but it felt like the only time I really made birdie is I just they were five Footers it was wasn’t putting bad but just wasn’t hitting it exceptionally close um yeah just I like you to finish the way I did thanks we’ll take some questions now starting with Mike four Brooks you’re out there trying to get something going all of a sudden on uh you make the eagle and the birdie can you take us through those and what kind of lift does that give you at the tail end of a round yeah I said to Ricky I think walking up five if we get to three or four that’d be nice um yeah you just just stay patient and that’s what that’s what majors is all all about I think and um you know you can’t win it today but you’re just trying to hang around and give yourself a a chance or in a good spot come come Sunday what did you hit in at seven and then what did your what you hit at eight yeah I actually got kind of lucky I was staying on on sprinkler head um I was in the first cut but I was able to move it back to the Fairway which kind of help I was either going to hit five iron from the first cut or you know move it back two yards and hit six iron um obviously not aiming there so it’s pulled um but uh that’s why that’s why you take that line you know what I mean you’re hitting to the center of the green and just trying to make four and get out of there but it was nice to see the one on eight go in I thought it was short so um I’ll take it really happy the way I finished next up Mike 8 followed by 12 Brooks obviously it’s the first round there’s a long way to go but when you’re looking at the board and you see somebody like Xander who kind of posts the course record do you get a little antsy or is there just so so long to go in this thing yeah I mean I definitely saw I thought it was out there um soft conditions especially with the uh the grass change instead of having the bent that zoa makes it a lot easier I think a little wet but um it was definitely out there just i’ just stay patient I think Ricky kept telling me all day just stay patient just wait your turn and I think that’s one of the things I’m exceptionally well at um sometimes during a round of golf you just got to wait your turn and you kind of catch that run with uh like I did with an eagle birdie Michael Evan Brooks if you do you think your always been a patient person or is that something you had to learn and how would you learn it oh God no I’m not a patient person um yeah I I think it started maybe back in 2014 Just when I was trying to study study guys um I studied DJ um GMAC those those guys were big influences on on me and the way I I approach it and and just even kind of I played a good bit with Rory I think in 14 15 too watching how he did things um I mean I was still in the challenge tour my first year in the PJ tour was 15 so um just trying to figure out how to adjust to getting out there right here Mike S Brooks as a guy who’s obviously had a lot of success in Majors have you found that it’s easier to take risks knowing that you have had success in Majors as opposed to maybe somebody who who is still looking for the first win in a tournament like this I don’t think i’ take risks in a major uh that’s kind of the problem I think in regular events I I take more pins on or um maybe a little bit more aggressive off the t- hitting driver into a place maybe where I wouldn’t necessarily hit it here um but yeah I just just got to figure out where the Miss is in a major that’s what I I’ve always done and what I feel like I’m very good at 12 then 14 Brooks going back to the patient question what did you pick up from those guys when you were watching them and what did you learn like specifically uh I was very impatient very I couldn’t understand if I to hit a 75 ft it was it would drive me nuts I just was like striving for Perfection um I said it earlier this year I watched DJ it was at the WGC down at Dural Trump’s place um he hit it right in the trees and I’ll never forget it he kind of punched it out and it hit the curve of the car path and kind of came back to where he was and he just laughed at it and I couldn’t understand that I was talking to my agent about it um and then getting to know DJ over the years just kind of how he how he thinks and how he approaches things and I think that’s his biggest attribute is being able to just kind of something bad happens just kind of Let It Go and something good happens you know you don’t want to get too high too low just kind of stay and ride the wave a little bit but um and then GMAC GMAC I thought he’s always been a gritty player and somebody that’s um gotten the most out of his game and he’s super talented and um he’s always fighting and always trying and just the way they play and the way they see shots and how they go about it uh to keep the theme on patience is there a moment when you flip the switch and patience gets turned off is it like certain number of holes left down by a certain number of shots when do you stop being patient it doesn’t it on Sunday if it’s you know you’re four back with four to play or something like that then you got to take a little bit of a some risks but um pretty much through the first three days I’m just trying to hit the center of the greens and and get out of there and if you know you pull one like I did on seven and head it close it’s it’s great but um I the way I see it is I’m pretty sure all my misses today were on the the correct side of the hole and that’s something that um that I noticed I don’t know if like anybody else besides Ricky is uh is noticing that but it felt that way a lot of them were on on the correct side Mike nine Brooks do you think earlier in your major career you might have been tempted to to chase after Xander and is that part of the maturation process of playing Majors no I don’t think so it’s yeah I guess there is a little bit of maturity you got to have as you develop over the years I think now it’s it’s it’s very obvious to me where it wasn’t as obvious um in the beginning but it’s just something I’ve I’ve just tried to I mean I didn’t really start playing Majors till what end of 13 I think the PGA at oill was my first one um or first like true one um or the way I way I think about it but then you know I followed up good in 14 and at Pinehurst I think I finished like fifth or fourth or something and got me in and um yeah thanks thanks for your time Brooks we appreciate it appreciate