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PGA CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 7, 2014Kevin ChappellLOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY KELLY ELBIN: Kevin Chappell in with us after shooting 6‑under par 65 to share the lead with Lee Westwood in the opening round of the 96th PGA Championship. Just some general comments on what went well and being in a share of the lead at this stage. KEVIN CHAPPELL: I guess I was in a good rhythm out there. Drove the ball well. Hit a lot of greens and gave myself some opportunities and I was able to take advantage of it, something that hasn't happened a lot for me this year, but looking forward to building on today and moving forward. KELLY ELBIN: Bogey‑free round with six birdies. Would you mind going through the approach shots in terms of what club you hit and the length of the putts please? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Hit 8‑iron on 2 from 175 yards. Kind of a hard 8‑iron and made it from 18 feet. On 4, hit a poor wedge shot from 90 yards and spun it off to the left and made it from 30 feet. On 9, I hit a wedge in from 145 and made it from 12 feet above the hole. 10, I was out of position and holed it from the front bunker. 13, I had sand wedge in from 105 and made it from 15 feet left of the hole. On 18, I hit 4‑iron in from 225 and 2‑putted from 30 feet. KELLY ELBIN: And by our count, Kevin needed just 24 putts in the opening round. Q. I think as you were walking 14, the score changed and you had a two‑stroke lead. Were you at all conscious of that and how does playing with a lead affect your psyche? KEVIN CHAPPELL: No, I wasn't conscious of that. I'm not afraid of looking at a leaderboard but I'm not necessarily studying it. We are so early into this golf tournament that you're in the lead, you're in 20th place, it's not that big of a difference relative to the 72 holes we have to play. Q. Why do you think you haven't had a good year? What have you done wrong, I guess? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I've created some consistency in the middle of the leaderboard, which I haven't had in my career. It's either been missed the cut or Top‑10. It's nice to have that consistency. There's been a few, let's say, screws loose that needed some tightening to get me near the leaderboard. Haven't putted great, so it was nice to see some putts go in today. I think I'm a lot more mature today than I was January 1 at the start of the year. KELLY ELBIN: Did the golf course play any differently today in terms of the speed, softness, what‑have‑you, than maybe the practice rounds? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I thought it played very similar to the practice rounds. I actually only played nine holes Tuesday, nine holes Wednesday, and felt like I made a good game plan, so the course, luckily for me, didn't change much, so I didn't have to change my game plan. KELLY ELBIN: Did you have a good feel for the course in terms of how it relates to your game coming in? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, I think if you're driving it long and straight, any course plays to your game, and that's the key to this golf course is definitely getting the ball in play and being able to attack some of these short holes. Q. How much golf do you watch on TV in general, mostly as a kid, and do you have any recollections of watching the Tiger/Bob May show in 2000 or The Ryder Cup in 2008? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I would say I watched a fair amount of golf in I'm not playing in the event. I'm a fan of the game and I feel like I can learn a lot from guys that are having success. I do recall watching the PGA in 2000. I remember seeing a lot of putts going in and some of the highlights I've seen, there were a lot of putts that went in. So that's also the formula to playing well around this golf course is making putts. Q. Ryder Cup, do you remember? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I don't really remember. It must have been when I was in college, so was losing some brain cells. (Laughter). Q. I think you said that you were a lot more mature now than you were January 1. What would account for that and in what ways are you more mature? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I'm just continuing to grow as a person, grow in my relationships, and that's allowing my golf game to grow. I learn my most through struggles and obviously this year hasn't been smooth sailing, so I've been able to learn from those struggles and apply them to my game. KELLY ELBIN: Kevin Chappell in in with 65, tied with Lee Westwood in the PGA Championship. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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