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PGA Tour: Webb Simpson about his win at RBC Heritage

Seventh times PGA Tour Winner: Webb Simpson. (Photo: Getty)

THE MODERATOR: I’d like to welcome the champion of the 2020 RBC Heritage, Webb Simpson, into the press conference room. What a Father’s Day for you, Webb. Congratulations on your victory. Can we get some comments?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, thrilled to death to be sitting here as the champion for many reasons. I’m RBC Ambassador, so that makes it special. I love this golf course. I love this area. I’ve never quite gotten it done here. I was close in 2013, losing to Graeme McDowell in the playoff. So it feels great.

Honestly, the last kind of ten holes were a blur because guys are making birdies, we’re trying to finish before night comes, and so to finish with five birdies like that was really special, especially after going kind of yesterday and the first 10 holes, 11 holes today not making putts. To see the putts go in when I needed them, that was really fun to see the ball going in the hole.

Q. You were chasing daylight here a little bit. Talk to us about the delay and what it was like to go back and try to finish.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, the TOUR did a phenomenal job. They didn’t know the storm was coming. It kind of came out of nowhere. And then we’re looking at daylight, how late can we play? 8:45, 8:50. We kind of figured out we’ve got to start by this time to get it done, and when they came out and said, go warm up, they only let us warm up for about 20 minutes, which is what we wanted. Sometimes warmups can be too long, and we run out of daylight. They did a great job of getting us back out there so we could barely get it done.

Q. Webb, congratulations. Just with your familiarity here and as different as things have been this week, how much did your knowledge of this place help you be comfortable today, as crazy as it was out there?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it helped a little bit, but not as much as it would have in April. I think I know the golf course a lot better — you know, more firm, overseeded. We took a lot of new notes this year, especially around the green, and I hit different clubs off the tee because the fairways are softer.

So I don’t know if my course knowledge helped as much as just being in contention lately a few times and kind of enjoying that and kind of knowing my body and how far shots are going to go and controlling my breathing. That was what I was thankfully leaning on those last few holes.

Q. What were your conversations with Paul when those putts were going in there? You know, those three birdies that kind of separated you. What were you all kind of talking through during that time?
WEBB SIMPSON: Nothing different. I mean, he’s really good at kind of sticking in the system of one shot at a time, one hole at a time. So we’re not getting too excited. We might get excited if I’m four, five, or six up, but guys were right there. Abraham Ancer was playing awesome, Tyrrell Hatton, so many guys were playing great, Daniel Berger. So we knew we had to keep making birdies. We still had a job to do.

Q. Webb, you obviously played well out here before, having been in the playoff. You played here a lot. Does that factor in at all on Sunday afternoon? I know they’re a little bit different greens than what you have experienced in April, but you seem to have a familiarity with the greens. Does that help you at all?
WEBB SIMPSON: For sure. I think the little nuances of not going all the way back to the pin on 14. 17, the ball seems to release more than most greens. I think those things from 11 years here really helped. Because when you know certain facts like that, it helps you to be more confident in the club you’re choosing because some holes I’m flying an 8 iron to the hole. 17, we were trying to land it ten yards short of the hole. So that, I think previous knowledge, like I said there in 14, really helps me be more confident in my club selection.

Q. And the birdie putt on 17 seemed to seal it for you, but did it feel different because there wasn’t the roar that you would probably expect in that situation?
WEBB SIMPSON: Maybe a little bit, but in the moment, you — you know, for me, my process was the same. It felt just as good to make it, but, yeah, that would have been — there would have definitely been some momentum building from the crowd, I think for a few guys. Not just me, but a few guys there on the last few holes, because a lot of guys were making birdies.

Q. Congratulations, Webb. Just your thoughts on becoming the first guy in maybe forever to win on Father’s Day two different tournaments. How special that is for you? And I think they said on TV that you wear yellow on Father’s Day, it’s your dad’s favorite. Can you talk about that a little bit?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, definitely really special. I feel like I won the THE PLAYERS on Mother’s Day after my dad passed away, and that was really special, especially it had been 3 1/2, 4 1/2 years since I won. That was an emotional win. U.S. Open on Father’s Day, I’ll never forget calling my dad after on the way to the press conference, and when he picked up the phone, he just was laughing. That’s kind of what he did when he was happy, he would just laugh. So I’m going to miss that laugh today for sure.

But I thought a lot about him. This morning I thought about him, and when I was on the golf course, I thought about him. Yeah, I started wearing yellow on Sundays in his honor. Yellow is his favorite color. My kids know that. Whenever they give me a card, it’s always in yellow crayon or yellow marker. So still feeling my dad all around me from memories. He loved golf. He would have loved watching today.

Q. And if you could tolerate my lame golf question, of all the birdie putts you made on the back, which was so critical, I’m curious about the shot you hit on 15, the second that set up that two-putt.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, that was a great number for me. It was a really similar number to yesterday. I hit the same club, hit a 5 wood, had a pretty good lie. I knew anything left of that pin was an uphill two putt. It was basically the same shot I hit yesterday, just a little further left.

Yeah, that kind of — that was a big drive to hit because, if you don’t hit it in the fairway, you’ve got to lay up, and that wedge shot is pretty tough today to that pin. It was a big drive and a big second shot.

Q. With a leaderboard that tightly packed, there are so many surges. Even just walking the back nine looking at the leaderboard, it’s amazing how the narrative kind of shifts in your mind. Oh, this guy’s at 20 now. This guy’s at 19. Are you aware of that when you’re playing? Is there a sense of momentum shifts? And is there any sense that, when you surge, it has to be at the right time? Not that you can really plan that, but really you were the last one to surge, and you ended up winning.
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it’s at both ends. It’s both staying in your own lane, worrying about yourself, but also you’ve got to know what’s going on. I think, had I not looked at the leaderboards, I would have thought 20 was enough, but I’m looking there on 12, I looked at the leaderboards, and then the next leaderboard, maybe we have one on 13, but I was just amazed tons of guys were shooting low scores and making birdies.

So that made me, not change a whole lot, but just attack a little bit more and make sure that all my putts were getting to the hole. I left a couple putts short on the front, but I made sure I didn’t do that on the last seven holes.

Q. Webb, just one broad one. I remember when you won THE PLAYERS a couple years ago, you went to No. 20 in the world, and you talked about that desire to want to kind of stay there and improve. Going up to, I think, No. 5 now, how proud are you of yourself from taking that win at the THE PLAYERS and still moving forward, I guess?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I think I said it then, Justin Rose is kind of my inspiration. He seems like he’s always there every week. He works hard at his craft, and I just thought, you know, I have good weeks. I make it to the TOUR Championship. I’ve won a few times. But I really have a desire to be in that top 10 or 15 guys in the world ranking all the time and have chances to win, not just twice a year, but as many times as I can.

So that led me to just look at every part of my game, whether it’s working out or the mental approach, and see if I can get better. That was three years ago probably. So, yeah, to your question, it feels great to see the hard work pay off and see that the process I’ve put in place is working.

But we’re nuts. We always think we can get better, and I think there’s room to grow.

Q. Did it take winning for you not to be asked about Bryson?
WEBB SIMPSON: Maybe so. I’m fine talking about Bryson. We can talk about him, whatever you want to talk about.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time and congratulations again.

Categories
Highlights Tours

RBC Heritage: Rory McIlroy after making the Cut

(Foto: Getty)

Q. Rory, what was the difference between today and yesterday?
RORY McILROY: It was a little more comfortable off the tee, put the ball in play a little more, and then once you do that around this golf course, you’re going to give yourself chances. The greens are small, and you’re not hitting very long shots into the green.

Yeah, just giving myself chances to hit iron shots within birdie range and was able to convert a few. I played the easier holes better — you know, birdied the three par 5s, birdied the 9th, picked off a couple more. So just a solid day.

When I got myself out of position, I got myself back into position and relied on my short game to bail me out a few times on the back nine when I needed to, but overall just a much better day. I think, whenever you see — going out there this afternoon, I knew I needed at least 66. So having a number in your head definitely focuses your mind, and you know what you need to do.

Q. Did you hear about Nick Watney, and your reaction?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, he texted me actually because we had a chat on the putting green before I went out to play.

Q. This morning?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, but we were at a distance. He was just saying, look, I hope I didn’t get too close to you. He feels badly that he was here today at the golf course. I said, look, it’s fine. You never know. So I said to him, if I was in your position, I probably would have been here too. Look, at this point, you just have to concentrate on getting better and getting healthy.

But, yeah, look, it sucks for him especially. You know, if you contract it, that’s fine, but then it’s the fact that who have you come into contact with, and who you might have exposed and stuff. Look, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Until this thing’s over, we all just have to stay vigilant and keep your distance and wear our masks if we’re going out in public and keep washing our hands.

Q. When did you get the text?
RORY McILROY: Well, as soon as I finished. Yeah, I looked at my phone, and there was a text from Nick. I think he just wanted to tell me personally instead of, obviously, having to read it through the news. So I appreciate that.

Q. Jordan was just here, and he said this was kind of a matter of when, not if.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, for sure, if you look at the statistics. I read a thing today that — look, by the end of the year, there’s going to be 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone from COVID-19. So to think that us on the PGA TOUR, none of us were going to get it was very — I don’t think anyone thought that. I think the consensus was someone is going to get it at some point, and Nick’s the one that’s got it, and he’s self-isolating and doing what he has to do.

Yeah, it’s a shame, but the show goes on. We’ve got 36 holes to play at this tournament.

Q. Do you still have confidence in the program now?
RORY McILROY: Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah, when I do the things I’m supposed to do and I’m at the tournament site, I feel very safe, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
PGA Tour Top Tours

PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy interview before RBC Heritage

Rory McIlroy prior the the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour. (Getty)
Rory McIlroy prior the the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour. (Getty)

Rory McIlroy talks to the media prior to the start of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island.

Rory McIlroy talks with the media before the RBC Heritage (PGA Tour)

THE MODERATOR: We’ll go ahead and get started with Rory McIlroy at the 2020 RBC Heritage. Rory, you’re making your first start at Harbour Town since 2009. How does it feel to be back?

RORY McILROY: It feels good to be back. Yeah, it seems like a lifetime ago that I was here last, week after my first Masters in ’09.

Yeah, I’ve watched it a lot on TV over the years, and you sort of know all the signature holes, I guess, but there was a few holes — I played a few holes yesterday, and there was a couple on the front nine that I didn’t really recall, and then I’m going to go right after here and play the back nine. There’s a couple on that side that I sort of need to get familiar with again. But, yeah, it’s good to be back.

Look, it’s a different schedule. I played Colonial for the first time last week, playing here for the first time in 11 years. But, yeah, excited to just be able to play golf tournaments again and get back at it. Excited for a great week.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll take some questions from the media.

Q. Rory, I got a couple for you. What did you experience last week as far as dealing with the COVID-19 that will help you go forward this week?
RORY McILROY: I don’t know, I think the first couple days last week in Colonial felt somewhat normal. I mean, I think Thursday, Friday — you know, it felt a little different over the weekend, like when we were in contention, in materials of it was very quiet and obviously not much atmosphere out there. But in terms of like dealing with it and dealing with the daily routine of temperature checks and all that sort of stuff, it’s totally fine.

I think the plans that are in place are very, very good. I’m sure everyone’s doing their best. I certainly don’t want to expose myself and test positive and put anyone else in danger, but also, selfishly, I don’t want to test positive because I want to keep playing golf, I want to keep playing in these tournaments. So I’m trying to do everything I can to limit my exposure and obviously not catch or spread the virus.

Q. And I’ll ask another question I’ve asked of everybody. Would you gain 30 to 35 pounds to gain 20 miles per hour ball speed?
RORY McILROY: No. I actually feel my best when I’m lighter. I was probably at my lightest at the start of the season, sort of that California swing, at Torrey Pines. I remember weighing myself at Torrey on the Sunday morning before going out to the final round, and I was like 155. I think that’s half of Bryson now.

Yeah, I feel better when I’m lighter. I feel more supple. I feel like I get a little more speed. Yeah, I don’t feel great when I gain weight.

Q. The restart, obviously, has been trickier for the Europe-based players for all the logistical reasons that everyone knows. Do you appreciate their play? And what do you think of their losing World Golf Ranking points as they try to figure out how to navigate this new normal?
RORY McILROY: Look, personally, I — if I were in their shoes and I was asked to come over to the states and shelter in place or quarantine for two weeks before these tournaments, I would have done that because we’ve got — I mean, if you really care about your career and care about moving forward, you should be here, I think. Last week was 70 World Ranking points for the winner, this week 74.

And I get there’s different variables and families and stuff involved, but we all have the means to rent a very nice house in a gated community in Florida and — you know, it’s not a hardship for two weeks to come over and quarantine. I mean, it’s fine. My caddie Harry came over and did it. He stayed in our guest house. The two weeks flew by.

Yeah, I honestly don’t understand the guys complaining because there is a solution to it. You can come over here and do what needs to be done.

Q. A quick follow. One of your Ryder Cup teammates said the problem is a three week — if you come over for three weeks, it amounts to a nine-week block because you have to quarantine two weeks, then if you were to go home, it’s two weeks, then when you come back, it’s two weeks. So if you have young children or whatever, that’s the trick, I guess. Do you appreciate that dilemma?
RORY McILROY: I do appreciate that, but it’s not as if — you know, most kids, it’s sort of the end of the school year. I know a few kids that went back to school. Again, you can bring your family with you. We all have the means to do that.

Look I don’t quite — it might seem a little harsh, but I don’t get that mindset, especially if you care about your career and you want to advance.

Q. I was going to ask you, what’s sort of been the practice arrangements and accommodation arrangements this week between you and Harry? I guess you and Harry, as you mentioned last week, shared a house in Fort Worth, and you had a downstairs basement with his sort of golf driving simulator. What’s the arrangement this week, and who are you sort of practicing with this week?
RORY McILROY: Same thing. So Harry and I are sharing a house. We’ve obviously spent the last, whatever it is, 3 1/2 weeks together. So, obviously, we’re — we get tested, and we’re both negative. I feel like it’s a safe option. So just Harry and I sharing a house again this week.

Then practice-wise, I haven’t really — I played nine holes yesterday, and I joined Jhonattan Vegas and Emiliano Grillo and Branden Grace, but I’m going to go play nine holes later today, but I haven’t arranged anything. It’s sometimes nice just to get out there on your own, especially if you want to see a new golf course that you haven’t seen in a while, just to sort of go about your business with your caddie and learn a few things about the course.

Q. Hi, Rory. Obviously, you’ve been in a position to win a few times this year and have had a disappointing Sunday. At what point do you sort of dismiss — like last Sunday, for example — as just one of those days, and at what point does it sort of become a thing in the back of your head that you’re aware of?
RORY McILROY: I wouldn’t say that Sundays this year have been disappointing. I mean, I played — maybe Bay Hill, I would say was disappointing, and obviously last week, but that was just more annoying, like I played crap. That was really it. Like it wasn’t as if it was anything to do with the position I was in or I got off to a really bad start and got into the rough on the front nine and hit decent shots that ended up in a bunker or a bad lie or whatever and just sort of — it’s one of those things where the momentum just started going the other way.

No, look, it’s fine. I played okay last week. It was a good gauge to see where I was at and what I needed to practice and what I needed to do going into the next few weeks. Obviously disappointing not to shoot a good one on Sunday, but it was fine. I learnt quite a bit from it, and hopefully those lessons I can put into practice this week.

Q. Nick Faldo said in the commentary that it doesn’t look like you’ve got a plan when things are going wrong. Were you made aware of that comment afterwards, and do you think that’s an unfair comment?
RORY McILROY: I didn’t hear that, no. Look, commentators are put in positions where, look, they have to say something. They’re not just going to sit there and be silent. I respect Nick a lot. Nick’s been really good to me growing up, as a junior golfer and even into the professional level. Look, I get the position he’s put in with commentary where you just have to say something, you have to make a comment. I’ve learned very quickly out here that you don’t take anything personally and you just move on.

Q. Rory, you’ve had kind of two weeks now to get used to this new normal at tournament sites, but you guys are creatures of habit. What’s been the one thing that you’ve had to switch up that’s maybe been the most different for you?
RORY McILROY: Honestly, there hasn’t been that much. I mean, there hasn’t really been anything that has been that different. I sort of like it. It’s quiet. You can get from A to B and not get stopped 20 times. It’s sort of — look, we all miss the fans, and the fans make the atmosphere, but at the same time, it’s sort of nice to be able to just go about your business and not have to worry about something that should take five minutes, having to give yourself 15 or 20 minutes to do just because of just getting from A to B. You know what it’s like at tournaments and stuff.

I haven’t really switched up that much. There hasn’t been anything that I would say that I would change. It’s sort of been nice.

Q. I just wanted to ask about Bryson. You played with him on Sunday. What was that like? Were you expecting that? Did you expect to see that transformation? Was it much different to what you saw from him before?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I mean, obviously, at the start of the year, he came out, and he was a bit bigger. You could see he was getting a bit of speed and stuff, and he was hitting it a long way. But he hit a couple drives on Sunday that Harry and I just looked at each other, and we’re like, holy shit, that was unbelievable.

He hit one into the wind on 11. I hit a really good one and probably hit it like 315, 320. He must have flew my ball by 40 yards. He hit it like 370, 375 into the wind. It was crazy. It was nuts. It’s unbelievable.

I mean, it’s impressive what he’s doing. There’s going to be courses where it works, and there’s going to be courses where it won’t. I can’t see him hitting that many drivers this week, for example. But, look, he nearly won on Colonial, but Colonial you can always miss it on one side. It’s not as if — I feel like Colonial, there’s maybe only trouble on one side of the hole a lot of times, where obviously somewhere like here, Hilton Head, you’ve got trouble on both sides. So there’s not really a bailout anywhere, where it felt like last week you could sort of — even though Colonial is a traditional golf course, there is always one side you could miss it if you wanted to hit driver.

Look, it’s impressive. He’s big. He’s sort of gone down a path, and he’s obviously very — he’s got a conviction, and he’s following it. That’s what he’s done. He’s always thought outside the box and thought a little differently to most people. He’s really put his mind at wanting to get longer, and he’s definitely done that.

Q. Is there no doubt that he’s the longest now, do you think?
RORY McILROY: I’d still say Cameron Champ. It seems with Cameron, it’s a lot more — it’s smoother speed. It’s not quite as much of an effort as Bryson’s putting into it. But he’s getting there.

Q. Just kind of curious, back to the Sunday thing for you. When you are in contention on Sunday, which you put yourself there so often, what’s different for you that day? Is the adrenaline running a little bit more? I don’t know how much you analyze that kind of thing, but I’m just curious, what is different for you on that Sunday for those final 18 holes?
RORY McILROY: Nothing, I don’t think. There shouldn’t be anything different, I guess. Yeah, no, I — geez, you’re going out there trying to shoot a good score, and that’s about it. That’s what you try to do every day. Some days you play better than others. Geez, I remember going into the — like everyone kept asking me about Fridays six years ago in 2014 when I had bad Fridays. Geez, a few Fridays in a row where I didn’t play well. I don’t think it’s this thing.

So, no, I try to go out there every day and shoot the best score I can, and the best score I could shoot on Sunday was 74. Hopefully, tomorrow I go out and try my best and shoot something a bit lower than that. Just each day, just try to go out there and do your best.

Q. Does it become more disappointing when the one bad round is on a Sunday? Or could you make the argument, if you had that bad round, if you shoot the 74 on Friday, maybe you’re not in position for Sunday, right?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I mean, not really. Like every day’s the same. Again, I always say winning is — there’s a lot of randomness to winning golf tournament as. It’s not just about — like there’s other things that happen, and you looked at what happened on Sunday. There’s so many guys in contention. Putts slip out. Putts slip in. Like there’s so much stuff that happens. You just have to go out there and focus on yourself and, again, try to shoot good scores.

It’s not like I’ve necessarily shot bad scores on Sundays. I got off to a couple of bad starts in some final groups, but I still was able to come back and shoot scores in the 60s. So, no, I’m not worried about anything.

Q. Just one quick unrelated thing, with a little bit of a weird silver lining to these last — these first four tournaments, to some degree, is the fact that all of you guys are obviously jonesing for the competition, and the fields have become so strong to some of these tournaments that normally don’t draw the kinds of fields they’re drawing right now. How much do you think that helps you even — you and everybody else, particularly the top guys — when most of the big guys are there? It has a little bit of a — at least in terms of the feel, the Major Championship feel?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it does. It feels great to look down the range and see all of the top players in the world here, or most of the top players in the world here. That is, it’s a good feeling. That’s what we all want. We all want to play against the best fields week in, week out. I guess, as you said, it’s silver lining to all this is that it seems like all the top guys are going to play a little more often going forward, and that’s a good thing for the TOUR and for us and for the people at home that are watching.

Q. Rory, no positive tests last week. Apparently, that’s going to be the case again this week. What do you make of that? What were your expectations? Any worries about complacency going forward?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think, as the lockdowns start to lift — people have called it like this coronavirus fatigue or whatever, where people could become a little more complacent or sloppy, but, again, I think — you know, most guys out here, their careers really matter to them, and they’re going to do everything they can to make sure that they’re safe and the people that they’re coming in contact with are safe.

Again, it doesn’t surprise me because I feel like the plan has put in place here has been very good. So, yeah, it’s great to hear that two weeks in a row there’s no positive tests. That’s what we just have to keep doing, but like as I said, just because things are starting to lift and it’s getting a little more normal doesn’t mean that we just stop doing what we’ve been doing over the last 12 weeks. We still need to stay pretty vigilant.

Categories
PGA Tour

Xander Schauffele: “I played solid.”

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Xander Schauffele of the United States looks on during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 13, 2020 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Xander Schauffele here at the Charles Schwab Challenge. 13-under through 54 holes, put yourself in great position going into Sunday. If we can get an opening comment on today’s round.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I played solid. It was quiet, as always, or at least for the last couple days, and it was fast. We played in twosomes, and it was a good day. You know, I tried to stay as cool as possible, hang out in the shade, and take care of my business.

Q. Can you talk about being back here at Colonial? I think 67 was your best now, and now three rounds better. What have you learned about the course to put yourself in this position?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Well, playing it more makes me more comfortable, obviously, so that helps. But I think in years prior it was much windier and I didn’t play the greens as great. Just a comfort factor. My caddie has gotten better, as well, in terms of picking lines and doing his job, so I think collectively we’ve done a better job preparing for this week.

Q. Obviously it’s not a major, but when you look at this leaderboard, does it kind of have a major feel to it going into Sunday, or is that kind of a clich?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I think the fans sort of make majors, as well, so not having any out here is a bit tricky, but respectively, yeah, you look at the names on the leaderboard, it’s sort of what I expected, just everyone coming out of quarantine wanted to play, and I think the next three weeks that will really show.

Q. Along those lines, you said this was kind of what you expected given the field, and I understand that. Wasn’t there a bit of uncertainty I would think for everybody after three months? I’m sure you had no idea where your game was.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, I’ve been playing and practicing for about a month now. I think certain areas were open, certain were closed. It was sort of a mixed bag. Yeah, you know, once word got out that we were teeing it up and we were ready to go, I think word spread that everyone was going to play the first three or the first five or whatever it is. I think everyone has just been stuck at home and excited to do what we love to do, which is come out and play some golf.

Q. Just wanted to ask you, when did it start feeling like a normal tournament? Was there any point this week that it’s like, all right, we’re back in it, this is what we do, that type of thing? Or has it never really felt normal?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, I’m not one to really — I’m kind of a quiet guy, I guess, so I’m not — I don’t have like a huge effect on the crowd I’d say, so not having fans isn’t the craziest thing to me. It just does feel like I’m playing at home with some of my buddies. It’s quiet. You make three birdies in a row, you can kind of give yourself a pat on the back. That’s kind of it. I think it sort of felt like a tournament right when we got on-site. Just playing a practice round, it just felt right being back out here. It’s kind of nice they put the ropes up even thought we don’t really need them. It makes it feel like a tournament. For the most part it is quiet, and I think everyone is kind of dealing with it in their own way.

Q. What kind of vibe are you anticipating for tomorrow? Obviously you’re going to be in contention. Do you anticipate it’s going to be different than a usual setting when you’re in the hunt?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know, I think it’s tricky. I think it’ll feel almost like amateur golf or junior golf where we all want to win. We all want to compete, and we’re all super competitive. When we were younger and playing in college or over the summer an amateur schedule, it was quiet. There weren’t any fans out, and we all were kind of going head-to-head, and everyone wanted it just as much as the next guy in line. I sort of feel like it might kind of feel like that tomorrow where coming down the stretch if you’re in the hunt, everyone is going to be — at least leaderboards are up, that kind of helps, but it’ll be really quiet and everyone is going to be minding their own business.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
PGA Tour

Dustin Johnson talks to the media after the second Round of the Charles Schwab Challenge

Dustin Johnson: "The TOUR has done a great job!" (Photo: Getty)
Dustin Johnson: "The TOUR has done a great job!" (Photo: Getty)

THE MODERATOR: We will go ahead and get started. First of all, welcome back. I know it’s good to be at the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, but that said, you’re making your first start back there at Colonial since 2014. Obviously some time has gone by. Have you had a chance to get out and see the course? And just your thoughts on being back at Colonial.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but I got out and played 12 holes, 13 holes yesterday. Yeah, the course is in good shape. It’s exactly how I remember it. But yeah, I mean, obviously I haven’t been back here. It just hasn’t fit in the schedule, but obviously with everything that’s going on, being the first tournament back, it was a perfect time to come back and play here.

THE MODERATOR: We’re asking everybody how you’ve spent the last few months. We’ve seen a lot of you on TV and so forth, but kind of bring us up on speed on how you’ve been keeping your mind and game fresh.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, the first six weeks or so, I didn’t do a whole lot of golfing. I spent a lot of time with family, Paulina, a lot of time on my boat, did a lot of fishing. But obviously the last few weeks been grinding pretty hard trying to get the game ready to come out here and play at Colonial.

Q.: Dustin, if you could just give us an idea of a couple of moments you’ve experienced since you’ve been here that remind you that this isn’t exactly a normal week, even though we’re back to playing golf.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, the biggest thing is having no fans for me. But besides that, obviously we get our temperature checked when we pull in and asked a few questions about if we’ve been in contact with people with COVID-19. You know, just obviously the safety precautions that the TOUR has taken, those are obviously a lot different than what we’re used to.

But the fans would probably be the biggest thing. But besides that, everything to me seems pretty normal as far as it’s a TOUR event, you see you walking around, pretty normal — actually you’re always around.

Q:. Sorry about that.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. I like seeing those great shirts you come out with every day.

Q.: Did you do the test before you traveled?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did.

Q.: Was that awkward at all?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No. I mean, you just spit in a tube and the doctor watches you and then you seal it up.

Q.: Would you rather spit or have something stuck up your nose?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don’t care, whatever works. It’s fine with me. Neither one of them were bad. The spit one took a lot longer than the one going up your nose. Obviously the spit test wasn’t as uncomfortable, but the other one was faster, so I think I’d go with the quicker one.

Q.: I had a question for you expanding on the fan experience. What do you think it’s going to be like — I know these practice rounds are generally quiet anyway, but the prospect of maybe jarring an eagle chip on sinking the winning putt on 18 and hearing nothing but crickets, what do you think that’s going to be like as you kind of look forward to the week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I’ve thought about it a little bit. I think it’s going to remind me a lot like junior golf except without the TV cameras following behind you. Yeah, it’s just going to have to be something we adjust to. It’s going to be different. There’s not going to be as much energy, especially out there on a Sunday if you’re around the lead coming down the stretch. But you know, it’s still a big tournament. You know, we’re still playing for the exact same thing we were before, and there is a lot of people watching. I still think you’re still going to be nervous, you’re still going to get those juices flowing coming — especially on Sunday coming down the stretch. But yeah, it’ll definitely be weird. There won’t be any noise out there.

Q. Even though it was just an exhibition, the charity thing that you did obviously at Seminole, was that a little bit of a taste of that to some degree since it was obviously pretty sleepy and quiet around there?
DUSTIN JOHNSON : Yeah, definitely, it was something to — it helped to play in a match with how it’s going to be out here. It was definitely a good experience. But yeah, it’s just something we’re going to have to get used to, you know. Just happy to obviously start the season somewhat normal and then hopefully we can get the fans back out here as soon as possible.

Q.: Can you just tell us what you missed most while you were gone and maybe something that you didn’t think you’d miss but that you noticed you did?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Just the competition for me. Just being out here, seeing all the guys, that’s probably the biggest thing really. But it was really nice to actually be at home and spend a lot of time with the family.

Q.: Regarding the no fans thing, can you maybe give us a couple of examples where the fans have actually had an effect on your golf, one example perhaps where they’ve been rooting for you and have pulled you through to the win? Another example where you’ve been up against say Tiger or Phil and you felt the crowd rooting against you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, for the most part I feel like the fans have always been really good to me. Even playing with Tiger or Phil, I still feel like I get enough fans out there where it doesn’t feel too lopsided. But you expect if you’re in a group with one of them that probably 90 percent of them are rooting for Tiger or Phil. You know, it’s something that you’re used to.

But yeah, I don’t really have any instances where I feel like I was just totally getting rooted against. But I’m definitely going to — it’s definitely going to be different, like I said, coming down the stretch on a Sunday with the tournament on the line.

Q.: Can you give us an actual specific example of when you’ve actually felt the crowd pull you through and when you felt them rooting for you and that’s brought out your best golf?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I think for me, for most of my wins, just feeling the crowd there for you and rooting you on. It definitely helps coming down the stretch. It’s something for me that makes you focus more, and it’s sometimes — especially if you make a bogey or something or do something on a hole coming down the back nine where you might get a little mad, and the crowd is there pulling you on, sometimes they can take your mind off of it.

Q.: I was just wondering if you could talk about getting back to competitive golf. It’s one thing to play a round with your buddies and things like that, even guys as talented as you guys are, but what’s the difference now that you’re out there where everything is going to matter, every stroke, every shot, that you don’t get any do-overs or gimmes or anything.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, it’s definitely going to be different. Obviously we haven’t played competitively for, what, three months now, right around there. It’s definitely going to be a little — that first day is going to feel very important. Obviously you can’t win the tournament on the first day, but you can put yourself in a good position, so just to get off to a nice solid start and play a good solid round is going to be very important. But just to kind of get that competitive — the rust — the competition rust is a lot different when you haven’t played. Yeah, for me just getting out there on the first day and getting a good solid round in is going to be very important. But yeah, you cannot simulate tournament golf at home, no matter how hard you try. Yeah, it’s going to be — it’s definitely going to be different.

Q.: I was wondering if you could talk about the course a little bit more. What do you think the numbers are going to be like this week with such a long layoff, and how do you think the course will play?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think the golf course, a lot of it depends on the wind. If it’s real windy, the golf course plays very tough. It doesn’t look like it’s supposed to blow too hard this week. But yeah, I mean, the rough is up pretty good, so you’ve got to drive it in the fairways. Any time you play a golf course with Bermuda rough, it’s really important to hit the fairways. For me that’s a big key this week is just driving it in the fairway.

Q.: I just wonder, some people are surprised that so many golfers are so keen to get back playing competitive golf. Obviously coronavirus is still a thing, and health and safety is still such a big subject. Why do you think so many of the guys were so keen to get back playing, and what gave you that element of comfort that everything was going to be fine?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I think that the PGA TOUR has done a great job with putting a lot of things in place to make sure that we stay as safe as possible, and playing golf, being outside, it’s pretty easy to social distance and stay away from people. A lot of the guys, we’ve kind of all been around each other a little bit, especially the ones that live back in Jupiter. We’ve played a lot of golf together and been around. My brother is my caddie, so I’ve been around him the whole time, so I’m not worried about anything like that.

But like I said, the TOUR has done a great job with putting a lot of safety measures in place, so I feel about as safe as I can being out here.

Q.: You kind of talked about Colonial just a minute ago, but just for your game, it’s not really a course you can overpower. How much of a challenge is it for you? Obviously we all know your length and whatnot, but just to play the course and maybe take what it gives you, so to speak?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, it’s not — it’s one of those golf courses where — there’s a few holes where you can try to maybe take advantage of, but it kind of all depends on the wind and where the flags are because the greens are kind of small when they tuck them in the corners. You want to have full shots in, so you don’t want to be hitting little short pitches.

Yeah, so I like the golf course. Like I said, I think if I can drive it in the fairway, no matter what club I’m hitting, driver, 3-wood, 3-iron, whatever it is, if I can play out of the fairway, I’m going to have a lot of success around here.

THE MODERATOR: Dustin, we appreciate your time and have a great week. Welcome back.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour

Brooks Koepas thoughts about the PGA Tour Restart

Brooks Koepka in press conference. (Photo: Getty)

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Brooks. Thanks for being back here at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Just some thoughts on being back for the return to golf. You’ve played here since, finished runner up in 2018 to Justin Rose, obviously have an affinity for the golf course, shooting a pair of 63s during that period. Just some thoughts on returning.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s nice to be back. I think everybody is excited to be back, have some competition, some sports, and I think everybody is looking forward to it. I know I am. I’m excited. It feels like forever. It feels like I’ve done this too many times over the last two years with injuries and stuff like that, having a couple months off, but to finally be back playing, it’s exciting, and I can’t wait to tee it up tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Just some thoughts on the featured pairing that you’re in with Rory and Jon; how will that make you feel playing with those two guys, having been a former No. 1 in the world?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, yeah, it’s nice. You always want to play with the best players in the world. So yeah, it’ll be an exciting group to watch. But at the same time, it doesn’t matter who I play with. I’m focused on myself and what I need to do. But you know those guys are going to play good, simple as. So it’ll kind of elevate the competition, as you do. You get into a Saturday-Sunday late pairing you know the guys are going to play well, so it always gives you a little added push.

THE MODERATOR: Just finally during the break, the forced break, do you feel that that’s maybe been a benefit or a bonus for you, having a break, given you only played five events early in the season, had some issues with injury? Do you think this is going to be beneficial for you?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I got lucky. It was definitely beneficial for me. It’s something — I was able to kind of reassess where I was at, get the knee stronger. The knee is back. It’s a lot better. And then finally be able just to swing the club the right way and kind of get back to the process or the way of thinking that I had before. It’s been a blessing in disguise for me without a doubt, and I’m excited to see what happens here.

Q.: You mentioned that you kind of got a break with having the hiatus come when it did with the state of your health and the game. How does the game feel now compared to the stoppage? I know it’s hard just judging by practice, but how does it feel compared to before?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I felt at THE PLAYERS, it was starting to come around. I felt something positive. But right now it’s a million times better. The swing feels like it’s in a great spot. I’m controlling ball flights, controlling spin, yardages, putting it good, chipping it good. I feel like a new person, honestly. The way I’m able to move right now is a lot better than I was three months ago, four months ago, and I’m excited. It really is going to be fun to tee it up again.

Q.: What did you miss most about competing and playing tournaments during the three months?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Just the competition. That was the thing I missed the most, competing. It’s hard when you’re sitting at home. There’s no competition. Yeah, you can go play some games at home, but it’s not the real thing. It doesn’t — when you’ve got 144 of the best players in the world, it’s a lot different than playing at home.

I really just missed just coming out here, competing for four days, having to string together 72 holes. I think that’s what I miss the most, just the competition.

Q.: It was mentioned that you’ve only had five starts this year. Is it a sense from your perspective that you’ve got to make up a lot of ground in these last 10 weeks, especially in regards to like Player of the Year competition, FedExCup points, those type of things?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really, no. If I do what I’m supposed to do, I’ll be just fine. I didn’t do what I was supposed to dot first five events. It is what it is; I can’t change it. It’s in the past. But you never know. I mean, you can rattle off 10 wins, and I think that’s kind of irrelevant.

Q.: Brooks, after such a long layoff here for everybody and getting back to it, what will be the feelings that you’ll have on the first tee tomorrow? Will it be back-to-normal life is good again, or will there be some added nerves or whatever you want to call it as you kind of get back into this rhythm of tournament golf?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Did you get nervous when you arrived today or the other day to go write something?

Q.: Yeah, I wasn’t any good, so it took me a while to get back into it.

BROOKS KOEPKA: There’s no nerves. It’s just — that’s my job. I’m supposed to go out there and go play, so just get back to it and proceed as usual.

Q.: I don’t know if you’ve been asked about what you think about the Ryder Cup, no fans, fans, play, not play; has anyone from the PGA of America asked your opinion, and if not, why not?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I haven’t talked to anybody. I didn’t talk to anybody when I was quarantined or over the coronavirus when we were back at the house. I didn’t talk to anybody.

I don’t want to play if there’s no fans. I’ve said that. I said that in some interview, I don’t know where. But I just don’t think it’s — the fans make that event. The fans make that special. If we’re not playing in front of fans, it’s just like us playing a game in Florida. You’ve got myself, Rory, DJ, you’ve got all these guys that are living in Jupiter. It would be just like a normal game that goes on in Jupiter. And there’s no fist pumping there, there’s no excitement. The fans create the excitement for the Ryder Cup.

Yeah, we’re excited to play, but you see the emotion. If there’s no fans out there you’re not going to see guys fist pumping and that passion behind it. Yes, I love to play for my country, I love to do all these things, but it’s important to have the fans there. We feed off it. The fans get louder or they’ll boo you depending on what you’re doing, but that’s the beauty of it. It makes it — the Ryder Cup is a true sporting event. It’s different than any other golf tournament we play. It’s a true sporting event, and I think if we can have fans, that’s perfect, and if we can’t, it just seems kind of like an exhibition, which it kind of already is. I just don’t want to play it without fans.

Q.: Can you see any scenario where if they decided to proceed with no fans that a player would protest by not playing?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah.

Q.: Would you?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Possibly. I think there’s a lot more that goes into that, why they would be playing, personally. As players I think we all know why they’re playing or why we would play.

Q. Do you think it’s money?

BROOKS KOEPKA: (Rubbing index fingers and thumbs together.) That’s the only reason. Give it to Johnny Football.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy: “Back to work. I’m excited.”

Rory McIlroy Interview. (Photo: Getty)

THE MODERATOR: We’ll get started with Rory McIlroy at the Charles Schwab Challenge. With the TOUR being off for three months after the cancellation of THE PLAYERS Championship, could you fill us in on what you’ve been up to and your excitement level to get started back up this week?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, back to work. I’m excited. I’m excited to be back on the road and doing what I’m supposed to do, play golf and compete. I think that’s the one thing I’m looking forward to the most and the one thing I’ve missed the most over the past few months is just the competition.

I think I sort of realized over the few weeks or like three months, I like golf and golf has given me a lot of great things, but the thing that I missed the most was the competition. Not that I could take or leave golf because I think once — I was very happy to put the clubs away for a few weeks, but once you sort of saw the light at the end of the tunnel and you knew what you were practicing for and getting up for and preparing for, that’s when you sort of start to get those feelings back again.

But yeah, what did I do? I tried to be as responsible as possible, like everyone else during the whole lockdown. Yeah, rode the bike a lot, did a lot of Peloton, did a lot of jigsaw puzzles, laid by the pool. It’s probably the most tanned my pasty Irish skin has ever been, so that’s been about it. I tried to sort of take a little bit of time off but then over the past few weeks sort of gear back up.

We played the charity match at Seminole a few weeks ago, and that sort of started my preparations back to where we’re at today.

THE MODERATOR: And as far as this week and the competition itself, you’ve won in tournament debuts before, most recently last year at the RBC Canadian Open. What are your impressions of the course as you begin to make your first start here?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, look, Colonial is a course that I’ve always wanted to come and play. I’ve watched it on TV over the years, and it’s just the schedule has never worked out. It always clashed with the BMW Wentworth tournament back on the European Tour, and I just never got a chance.

And then last year playing Canada for the first time, Memorial, Canada, U.S. Open, if I added here it would be four in a row. So the schedule never worked out that I could actually get here, and now that I can, I was excited to see the golf course and play it and try to learn it.

Obviously it’s not the longest course on TOUR, but you really need to position your ball around the golf course very well. It reminds me of a few different places. I can sort of see a little bit of TPC Southwind in Memphis out there, a little bit of Valderrama in Spain, just really having to hit it in certain parts of the fairways and not taking on too much.

Yeah, I mean, it’s a very historic venue, and a lot has happened here, and obviously Ben Hogan had a huge influence, so it’s been cool to come and see all that.

Q. I know you’ve played in the TaylorMade Relief match, but have there been any other matches that have tried to get you back up to speed? Is there anything specific you’ve done to try to get ready after three months off?


RORY McILROY: Not particularly. I think I’ve tried to play with a lot of the guys down in Jupiter. I played with DJ a bit, played with Rickie, played with J.T., played with Shane Lowry a bunch, as well, so I tried to play with really high-caliber players all the time and see where everything measures up against them and tried to get sharp by playing a few money games and things like that. No, that’s really been it. I sort of played a lot more than I practiced over the last few weeks, which has been nice because I sort of wanted to hit the ground running once I got here to Colonial, and I feel like my game is pretty sharp. It’s never going to be — nothing can compare to getting out there and playing under tournament conditions, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m as sharp as I can be coming in here, I guess.

Q. How frustrating has it been for you that this break came when it did, unlike in 2015, something completely out of your control, and can you just — how confident are you you can turn the tap back on again and pick up where you left off? Do you say to yourself, look, three months ago you were in the best player in the world, there’s no reason why you’re not still?


RORY McILROY: Yeah, there’s no reason why I’m not still. I’m not frustrated. I wasn’t frustrated at all. It’s not as if — I don’t feel I’ve been hard done by or anything. It actually gave me an opportunity to work on a few things. I spent 90 days in a row at home for the first time in my adult life. Didn’t get on a plane for three months. I did a lot of things that I didn’t imagine that — I never thought I would do for years.

I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated. I’m eager to get back and I’m eager to play and get back into competition mode, but I’m sort of — expectation-wise, we’ll see how it goes. As I said, I feel like I’m as sharp as I can be coming in here. I’ve played a lot of golf over the last few weeks and I’ve practiced a bit. My game seems to be there. It seems to be there at home anyway, so if it’s there at home, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be there when I get out here.

Yeah, as I said, I’m feeling as good as I can, but in terms of expectations and how I’m playing, I think the first couple of days here will be the real test, and I’ll learn a lot about myself and my game over those first couple days.

Q. How important do you think this week is just for the game of golf being able to step into the spotlight when other sports aren’t happening and to kind of demonstrate a sporting world with social distancing and so forth?


RORY McILROY: Yeah, that’s a very good point. I think this week is very important because golf will be the center of the sports world, which it usually a few weeks a year is, but for people to have something to watch on TV where they actually don’t know the outcome I think is going to be nice for them. So I think that’ll be a good thing.

And yeah, I think it’s an important week because golf can show that we can play in a socially distant manner. We can conduct a tournament and adhere to all the safety protocols that have been put in place.

Yeah, as long as everyone does their bit — I said in a previous interview, it is going to be very easy to fall back into old habits because it’s just what we’ve done. I’d say for the viewing public just to give the players and the caddies a little bit of leeway in terms of if they see something on TV that isn’t quite right. We’re having to figure it out as we go along, as well.

But I think golf can show that it can be played, especially at the highest level, and adhere to the guidelines that everyone else has to adhere to.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour: Women’s Major cancelled – Evian Championship will be back in 2021

The LPGA announced that The Evian Championship will be canceled this year. (Photo: Getty)

Due to ongoing travel/border restrictions and government quarantine requirements as part of the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPGA Tour and The Evian Championship announced today that the tournament, scheduled for August 6-9, will not take place in 2020. The major championship will return to the LPGA Tour schedule in 2021 at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France.

LPGA: Mike Whan looks forward into the next year

“I have been incredibly impressed by the entire team at The Evian Championship. They worked so hard to host this global event despite the obvious challenges,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “They know that high-pursed, career-changing events like The Evian are more important than ever, especially in an LPGA year that has been drastically reduced due to COVID-19. I know this was a tough decision for everyone involved, but it’s one that we had to take given the restrictions we faced.

“It is disappointing to miss a major championship but Evian’s strong history of showcasing the best female golfers will continue once again when we return in 2021. We look forward to being back on the mountain in Evian next year and for a long time to come.”

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European Tour PGA Tour

Before the “Re-Start”: A look at the world golf ranking and FedExCup

What is the current situation in the World Golf Ranking and the FedExCup? After a break of almost three months, the PGA Tour is back to a tournament. At the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, the professionals will meet to finally play again. With the re-start, players can also collect points for the world rankings and the FedExCup.

McIlroy at the top, chasers behind

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) was frozen for the time being after the tournament cancellations in March, but is now active again with the start of the Charles Schwab Challenge. This caused displeasure, especially in the camp of the European Tour, as it will not resume the tournament events until a few weeks later. Players see themselves at a disadvantage in order to collect important points for larger events and tournaments.

Rory McIlroy is still at the top of the world rankings. The Northern Irishman has a point average of 9,4474, which is calculated from the number of tournaments played and the points collected. At the end of last season, “Rors” made his goal clear with an announcement to Brooks Koepka, then number one. “I want to be number one in the world, I don’t care who holds it. This is on my radar and it’s definitely a goal of mine for next year.” Now the 31-year-old is going to do everything he can to defend that top spot.

Behind him are Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson in places 2-5. Th best Austrian, Bernd Wiesberger, has been in the top 30 since October 2019. Martin Kaymer, who like Wiesberger is not participating in the Charles Schwab Challenge, is 115th as the best German professional.

Youngster leads FedExCup

The FedExCup, the season ranking of the PGA Tour, will also be reactivated with the tournament on 11th June. Sungjae Im is currently leading the tournament with 1,458 points. The South Korean is just 22 years young and took his first victory on the American professional tour at the Honda Classic in March. Only one week later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational he snatched 3rd place.

Behind him there is Justin Thomas. The 27-year-old is at the front year after year due to his consistently good performance. In 2017 he already won the overall standings. He has also won two tournaments in the current season. In third place is the number one in the world: Rory McIlroy.

Categories
PGA Tour

PGA of America: Official Statement Released Regarding 2020 PGA Championship

The Wanamaker Trophy on display at the first hole during final round play at the 90th PGA Championship August 10, 2008 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

The PGA of America released an official statement on Tuesday evening announcing that the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park will be rescheduled for a later date yet to be determined due to growing concerns of the Coronavirus outbreak.

PGA of America: PGA championship to be postponed to a later date amid Coronavirus concerns:

“Throughout our evaluation process, we have been committed to following the guidance of public health authorities and given the coronavirus shelter-in-place order in effect in San Francisco, postponement is the best decision for all involved,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.

“This is a reflection of a thoughtful process,” Waugh added. “We are and have been working in concert with Commissioner Jay Monahan and our partners and friends at the PGA TOUR to find an alternative date that works for all. We are all very hopeful for a great outcome.

“We are also in dialogue with Mayor Breed and her team at the City of San Francisco and look forward to hopefully bringing the 2020 PGA Championship to TPC Harding Park at a date this summer when it is once again safe and responsible to do so.”

PGA of America Communications

March 17, 2020

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida