	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2018

Nicholasville, Kentucky

THE MODERATOR: Cooper, we'll start with you. Welcome to the Barbasol. Can we get some comments on participating this week?

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Thank you for having me. Just really excited to be here. Really happy that the PGA TOUR has come back to the Bluegrass State. Really just blessed to have an opportunity to play here.

THE MODERATOR: Chip, your thoughts on the week ahead, please.

CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah, what he said. No, it's really cool. It's a golf course that we both like and that we've played a lot. It's really cool to have the PGA TOUR back in the Bluegrass State.

I'm really grateful and happy to have the opportunity to have my PGA TOUR debut here.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of that, Cooper, talk a little bit about the week so far and what you've experienced and how things are going for you in your PGA TOUR debut.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Yeah, it's pretty cool. We kind of get treated like royalty around here, so it's a really special feeling.

I got here yesterday. Really enjoyed yesterday, and today was a really fun day playing with Dudley and Tyson Alexander. Was a really fun day just getting ready for the week.

THE MODERATOR: All right. And Chip, your thoughts on your PGA TOUR debut and how everyone is treating you this week.

CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah, I mean, everyone is treating me great. There is a lot of free food, so that's good.

But, yeah, I mean, it's really cool. That's about it.

THE MODERATOR: Before we open it up for questions, get you to both assess the other's game. Cooper, talk a little bit about what fans can expect to see from Chip this week.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Chip's always been described as the luckiest human being, so...

I'm just kidding. No, he's just an overall good player. Strikes the ball really well. Strikes the ball well, chips it really well. I mean, his name is Chip, so he has to be a pretty good chipper.

CHIP McDANIEL: There you go.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: He rolls his rock. He's just an all-around good player.

THE MODERATOR: And Chip, what can PGA TOUR fans expect to see from Cooper?

CHIP McDANIEL: A lot of fairways and greens. If he gets some putts rolling, you'll see his name at the top of the leaderboard for sure.

THE MODERATOR: All right, great. Welcome. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. You guys do have some sort of advantage this week with your familiarity with the course. How do you let that kind of be your advantage?
COOPER MUSSELMAN: It's just nice to have seen the course before. This is the first time the PGA TOUR has come here, so some people are showing up here and no one really knows what to expect.

So it's kind of an advantage to us to have been playing here the past five, six years to get to know the land a little bit. So I think that's going to be a big advantage.

CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah, I mean, same thing. It's nice on some of the tougher tee shots to have hit it many times before and not be scared of the tee shot. I don't think PGA TOUR players have a problem with that, but experience is always a good thing.

Q. Chip, how do your strengths play into how the course plays and what are some of the weaknesses you're concerned about at this point in time?
CHIP McDANIEL: As far as my strengths, if you get it in play you can score. I don't think I've ever had a problem doing that.

The greens are pretty soft, so I think that favors me, too. I'm kind of just -- I hit the ball high and can stop it really quick. I'm normally pretty good out of the rough, too, so if I just miss it in the rough, the greens are softer so you can stop it quicker. So I think that's an advantage.

And, I mean, as far as weaknesses, the greens are a little quicker than what I'm used to. I think if I adjust to that then I'll be fine.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Well, the strengths, my strength is probably ball striking. That's obviously pretty good around here. The rough is kind of penalizing, I think. Around the greens the rough is really thick, so I think I might have a little bit of an advantage just with the amount of greens that I normally hit.

With the rough being that thick, that might also be a weakness. If I'm starting to miss greens, then it could get a little tough out there.

But hopefully that's not the case.

Q. How do you guys compare the anticipation of going into a PGA event versus a collegiate event?
CHIP McDANIEL: Well, I'm trying to treat it the same. It's easier said than done. But, you know, like his coach, Corey, said today, It's more getting used to the off-the-golf-course stuff. The golf is pretty much the same. It's just getting used to everything else.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: I agree with that. Yeah, off the course we don't really get to do a whole lot of this stuff in a college tournament and stuff like that. We're just trying to learn a course and really just go find a good place to eat.

Right now it's just, yeah, media stuff. There are TOUR vans out here and stuff, which is really just cool to look at. There are going to be crowds following, which is going to be just something different than we're used to.

Yeah, on the course it should be, yeah, just treated like another tournament.

Q. Both of you have had fantastic careers at the University of Kentucky. How has that career helped you in preparation for this moment?
COOPER MUSSELMAN: Well, UK has done a really good job of having us play some difficult courses in tournament conditions. I think that's definitely helped our games continue to get better and better and better.

It kind of, I guess, prepared us maybe for this moment I think.

CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah. Same thing. I mean, you play Division I SEC golf you're going to play golf courses pretty similar to what these guys play.

As far as the golf course, I don't think we'll be scared or I don't think it'll be anything that we're not used to.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
CHIP McDANIEL: Just how to handle emotions. Especially if you get a little stretch in the tournament that you don't play well, just how to handle that. I think we'll be fine with it. It will be a little different in a PGA TOUR event.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Yeah, just managing those nerves will be a little bit of a different feel. Then it's really kind of nice just to play against some of the best players and see where we stack up against them.

I think that's a really good opportunity.

Q. (Regarding big following here.) How is that going to help you and would you like to give a shout out?
CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah, for sure. You know, Guys come out, show out. But I'm excited. They've always supported me really big back home. I'm excited that my debut is here so at least some people can come out and watch and see a dream come true really.

Q. It's been a while since the PGA TOUR event has been held in Kentucky. How excited are you guys to have such a marquee event back in your state, and specifically here?
CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah, I mean, I think it's really cool. Probably five or ten years ago Kentucky was not even on the map for golf really. Guys like J.B. Holmes and Justin Thomas, especially now, you know, they've put it on the map.

It's really exciting to see what they've done, and I'm just hoping I can continue that for the state.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Yeah, I think it's going to be huge. It's going to be huge for junior golf I think. Some guys will come out here, younger kids that come out here and just be like, Wow, this is what I want to do. Golf is going to be really fun.

At least that's what my case was. I watched the PGA Championship when it was Valhalla in 2000. I was just -- my eyes were opened. Really that's when the dream set in that I wanted to be one of those guys.

I think that's what this tournament is going to do for the Junior Golf Foundation in Kentucky.

Q. You guys have an opportunity to get to know any of the players?
CHIP McDANIEL: Well, we played with Dudley Hart today. He's turning 50, so about to be on the Senior Tour. He's been out here a while. He was a good guy. He was a great guy to play with because he's a funny guy. He likes to talk.

It was a good guy to play with to keep it casual and not be anxious or worried about you're playing a practice round for a PGA TOUR event. Just felt like another day on the golf course, which is good.

You could also ask questions and pick the brain of a guy that's been out here for 20 plus years, which is always nice.

Q. Did he give you any advice?
CHIP McDANIEL: Just have fun. Just have fun with it. We're 22 and 23 years old so we're planning on being out here for a lot longer.

I don't think this week determines our careers or anything like that. He just said, Have as much fun as you can.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Yeah, he's one of those guys that he really likes to have fun, and today was a really fun day. We had a lot of laughs. He just kept it loose. It was nice to have that guy in our group.

Q. Neither one of you guys lack for confidence. Is there a realistic goal for this tournament, specific goal you want to achieve?
CHIP McDANIEL: I mean, as far as goal, I would like to at least play the weekend. Playing the weekend in your first event would be nice.

I'm not really thinking about. I'm just trying to that stay in the moment and keep it one shot at a time like I always do. If I do that and I play well, the results will take care of themselves.

COOPER MUSSELMAN: Yeah, right now it's just kind of trust the process we've been doing for the past 20 years to prepare for this moment.

Yeah, I mean, I guess the main outcome goal would be it would really good to play on the weekend and just maybe shoot a good score on the weekend and just see what that does for us.

Yeah, that's kind of the goal for right now.

Q. You can only have one first tee shot as a pro. Are you nervous about it at all?
COOPER MUSSELMAN: Going to definitely be some nerves on the first tee, but I'm kind of excited about it. It's going to be pretty cool. I think some of my family and friends will be there, so I'm glad they'll be there to see that moment.

CHIP McDANIEL: Yeah. I'm just excited for it. I'm ready to go.

Q. (Regarding Dudley Hart on the course.)
COOPER MUSSELMAN: Might not be appropriate.

CHIP McDANIEL: So he played golf with our college coach. He was out there with a guy that I know. Coach Craig introduced Dudley to him, and Coach Craig says, Yeah, he's got some stories on me that might make us not want to be friends anymore.

Dudley just -- he starts trying to tell stories, and Coach Craig is just like, Get over here, man. Come on.

But it was an all-day thing. Just little things. Hit a tee shot and say something funny. I don't really remember what he said. I just remember laughing at it.

Yeah, so...

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2018

Chip McDaniel

Cooper Musselman