VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 21, 2026

Brooks Koepka

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)

Quick Quotes

Q. Got off to a good start today. 3-under the front nine. Did you feel like you're really in the mix you were only two or three off the lead at that point, right?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I felt good. Just played nicely the front side. Then I don't know, I drove it terrible all day. It really cost me. Just put it in the worse place possible. Then from there felt like I was scrambling. But I definitely didn't hit it that great on the back side. But didn't feel like I deserved it, but at the same time I drove it so poorly.

Q. Why do you think that happened driving it poorly on the back nine?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I drove it poorly on the front nine, you just got away with it. I've been driving it poorly all week. Drove it poorly last week. Yesterday I felt like I drove it well on the back side and finally started scoring. Yeah, I don't know exactly what it is, I've tried different things that I know that I'm used to doing mechanically wrong, alignment, ball position, different things like that, and I don't know just can't quite figure it out.

Q. Got to ask you about that putt on 15. It was rolling towards the hole and it looked like it was going in. Did you think it was going in?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I thought it was in, but it's hard to make it if you don't hit it. I honestly thought once the shadow was over it might go, but it is what it is.

Q. I have to ask you about the incident there, everybody saw it on television, you went over and showed a lot of empathy, did that effect you at all after that happened?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, not golf-wise, no. I just felt terrible for, I believe her name is Shay, so from all the reports you've got she's okay, thankfully. So that's all that matters, as long as she's okay, I know she's probably a little scared and I just felt for her at the time. So it's unfortunate, it shouldn't have happened, but as long as she's okay, no, nothing crazy happened to her, then it will be okay.

Q. We don't know what the score is going to be with the leaders at the end of the day but do you feel like you're not too far away still?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I'm a long ways away. I felt like I needed to get to at least, it would have been nice to stay at 6, maybe. Feel like you really got a chance there. But, yeah, I need a real low one tomorrow.

Q. What happened on the tee shot on 16?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Just drove it -- I had 3-wood, I took 3-wood, took the right club, it's just I didn't have a chance to -- I don't know I just didn't know where the ball was going off the tee, so hopefully we'll figure that out.

Q. Can you talk about your putting improvements?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I felt good on the greens. Yesterday maybe I didn't feel as good. But everything else felt really solid. I felt like I'm starting the putts on line. I think I've got a good -- yeah, I feel like it's been a lot of work the last few weeks, and all the work I put in with Mike, it's been really solid, and I've seen a lot of improvement. Hopefully, I mean, we're two, three weeks in, so hopefully it just gets better and better.