For a brief moment, most of Tuesday’s pre-PGA Championship press conferences were canceled because of inclement weather. And then they weren’t.
Here are the best quotes from each of the players, from Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods, who came through the interview area at Valhalla:
Scottie Scheffler
Question: You said during the break and the birth of your son that you reflected a lot. When it comes to your career, what did you think about?
“I mean, as far as my career goes, I think there was just a little bit of just kind of thankful times mostly. Like I said, I’m sitting there with Meredith, and we started dating in high school, and I think a lot of the time we still feel like children. So to be sitting at home awaiting the birth of our child and then bringing our child home was definitely a very interesting feeling because I think sometimes we both see just the kid in each other, and being responsible for another life form is a pretty interesting thing for us to be responsible for.
“I think that’s mostly what it was, just being thankful for where our lives have gone and where this game of golf has taken us. It was definitely nice. I can’t really describe the feeling of, you know, dreaming of just coming and playing on the PGA Tour, to be sitting at home with the girl I dated in high school with our child and then the Green Jacket sitting in the closet is a pretty insane feeling, and I just wanted to be as thankful as possible.
“But I think the human heart is always striving for more, and the competitiveness in me, it doesn’t really allow me to reflect really that much.”
Jordan Spieth
Question: I’m wondering if a stronger player-driven part of the board, if that’s empowering or if that’s at all distracting to your other job of trying to win golf tournaments?
“It’s just balanced. It’s not player driven. So, we got – you guys have got to stop saying that. Like, it’s not the case. It’s balanced in a way that at least from what I’ve heard the investors, Tour management, and independents feel it should be. I think we’re in a place where that’s the case – we’re being told that this is how it should be as well.
“It went from a lot less players to a balanced board. Especially on the Inc. side, it seems like we’ve been told that’s a really good idea on a what was told to be a player-run organization, to have a balanced board with independents that are essentially making the decisions that we are not qualified to make, but us offering insights on how the membership would feel and whether it’s eligibility matters or whatever is left on the ink board, you know, we both have an opportunity to offer insights to make the right decision. So, it’s balanced.”
Follow-up: You said that’s a false narrative. What is the right narrative of what players are actually dictating on?
“Well, there’s a lot of committees, right, and you guys have, I’m sure, fully aware of the transaction committee at this point. So those are the people that are doing the – I don’t even like to call it negotiating, like doing the talking and the figuring out, you know, what a lot of the future product model looks like, having those conversations with the Public Investment Fund. So, there’s that, there’s governance committees, there’s all kinds of stuff. And they’re made up of a combination of players, some Tour management. Jay’s involved. SSG, independents. You want to have … at the very most a balanced number of players to other investors or somebody else on each of the Committees, to where you get ideally, like I mentioned, a bunch of the right perspectives.
“I think things are, unfortunately, put in a really bad light right now, and I think things are actually in a really, really good place, based on what I know, which is quite a lot in this situation. I think things are moving forward at a speed that both sides are probably frustrated at each other one different times when they’re trying to get a hold of each other. I mean, there’s a lot of other things going on as well, but in general everyone on our side, I believe, are rowing the boat the right direction together, the same direction together, and I believe we’re going to end up in a really good place and I’m, I just continue to kind of chuckle, because I only feel positive momentum when we’re actually having these internal conversations, and then every time anything comes from the outside world it’s the opposite, and it just kind of makes me chuckle a bit because it’s a bit frustrating.
“So, I hope our fans and the fans of golf are aware that, you know, people are trying to do the right thing and the same thing together, it just, it’s going to take a little bit of time to figure out exactly what that looks like.”
Max Homa
Question: There’s been a lot of talk about the state of golf now and what impact all of the off-course stuff is having on casual fans in terms of popularity and whatnot. I wonder from your vantage point where do you see the state of the game now in terms of casual fans and why?
“It’s been a bit tricky. I do feel like the internet probably makes it seem worse than it really is. It’s a very small community and they’re incredibly loud. So, I think if you spend a lot of time on the internet, it does feel like professional golf is crumbling. It’s tough to decipher, because when we’re on the grounds of events, it’s amazing. Last week at Quail Hollow was awesome. Felt no different at Bay Hill. The Players felt no different. So, it’s odd, it doesn’t feel like it’s dying, yet you hear a lot of very valid complaints on the internet.
“So, I think it’s been, it’s very troubling. I don’t like where it’s going. It’s got to be exhausting to be a casual golf fan at this point in time. I don’t know why you would want to hear about the business side of this game. As a fan of other sports, I do not care about the business side of what the Lakers and Dodgers are doing. So, yeah, it is troubling, however, it’s just difficult because we come here and yesterday was slam packed and it was awesome and everyone just seems like in such good spirits to just see us playing a somewhat meaningless practice round to their point of view.
“So, it’s tough to kind of completely figure out. I hope at some point soon we can just get back to entertaining people and playing golf and seeing who shoots the lowest score and not talking about what our Player Advisory Council is going to do. The fans of golf should not know who is on the board. Like that just seems like a pretty obvious one. So that would be the goal going forward.
“So, I think, you know, in some positive light as a fan of just the game of golf, the benefit is golf is thriving. That’s cool. Men’s professional golf might be in a weird spot, so hopefully we can continue to get more people to play golf and then once everybody can get this thing figured out hopefully we get those people playing golf to also enjoy watching a little bit of golf. We have a lot going on here, but hopefully at some point everybody can find the plot again.”
Jon Rahm
Question: A Ryder Cup question; the DP World Tour recently clarified that any suspension you get, you can serve while playing still playing on LIV, so it sort of clears the way to play as long as you pay any fines and play four events. Just want to clarify, were you always aware of this, and have you plotted the tournaments you can play, the four tournaments so you can be eligible?
“I just need to look into it. Obviously I’ve wanted to play in Spain. I’ll need to talk to them about how we can figure it out so I can play some events. Obviously Kelley’s due date what effect what tournaments I can and cannot play, so I think I’m kind of waiting on that a little bit to then be able to form a schedule.
“It does come to a point where I might need to play four events late in the year, but you know, can’t really get in the way of life in that sense, right, literally. I mean, it’s our third child so I wouldn’t miss that for the world, and if I have to play a little bit more in the fall, I will. But based on that, I can’t really tell you yet what I’ll be playing. I don’t know. There’s certain tournaments I would like to play but I will see if I can or not.”
Follow-up: But you will do whatever anything and everything you can to get into that Ryder Cup team?
“I said I would do whatever I can to get into that Ryder Cup team, and I made that commitment to Luke, and I want to be able to be a part of it. So again, the schedule’s going to be the hardest thing in that regard.”
Tiger Woods
Question: Scottie’s playing with the consistency that is very reminiscent of you at your peak, and Rory showed on Sunday he has another gear, which is also reminiscent of you at your peak. What do you see when you watch those two play golf?
“Well, two very different styles. Obviously with Scottie, what he does through the golf ball and with his footwork, or you have Rory who has arguably the best finish of a swing in golf. It looks like a statue, right? They’re two totally different players.
“The commonality is I think the focus and when you’re on the range and watching them hit golf balls or listening, more so listening to them hit golf balls, there’s a different sound to it because they just don’t miss the middle of the face. I think obviously Scottie’s not as long as Rory and can’t probably separate himself on a golf course like that with pure length, but his ball striking, the amount of greens he hits, he just wears you out that way. And then he has an amazing pair of hands around the greens. If he putts awful, then he finishes in top 10. If he putts decent, he wins. He putts great, he runs away. So, he’s just that good a ball-striker and that good an all-around player. Rory, just the way he’s able to take over a golf course and just overpower it, I kind of remember that back when I was younger, but it’s been awhile.”
Justin Thomas
Question: Over the years there have been a lot of drama and theatrics at this championship at this venue, and I wonder why you think that is. What is it about this course that brings that out?
“There’s not a lot of different ways to play the golf course. For the most part you know if it’s a par 4 or 5 you’re just grabbing a driver when you get to the tee and you’re just hoping you hit the fairway, and then you’re probably going to hit somewhere between a 5- and an 8-iron into the green. I think when you give all of us very similar places to play from, you have the opportunity for more a bunched leaderboards or you don’t get maybe as much of a situation like last week. Like obviously you can; someone can run away from it. But history has kind of proven at this tournament that they have been pretty bunched leaderboards and it’s been very close coming down the stretch.
“I think that’s because you don’t stand on a tee and you’re like, well, a lot of people are maybe hitting 4-iron or 5-wood, but you have five or ten guys that can hit driver past everything and then next thing you know you have three or four of those holes over the course of an entire round. Multiply that by four days, and then it’s like you have a chance for that separation. So, I think the fact that this course is played very similarly by everybody could have something to do with it. That’s my guess.”
Michael Block
Question: We got to visit with you at Oak Hill, but what was it like when you got home and just the reception, how has life changed at the club?
“It’s a lot different. The sad part is I haven’t been able to teach since then. I’ve been so busy and on the road and playing and all types of things, so I had to give off all my students to fellow instructors, which was a bummer, but they’re in good hands. My door has to stay shut in my office, which is a bummer. Usually it’s open and I can say hi to the assistants and everyone that’s walking through, but it’s been such an onslaught of people and things like that, I can’t keep my door open.
“So, it’s crazy, but like I said, everyone’s enjoying it back at the club. I have full support from the management and the ownership there, and the assistant pros that have literally taken the golf club under their wing while I’ve been gone, I can’t thank them enough for what they have done.”
