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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 19, 2019

Rob Labritz

Farmingdale, New York

Q. Rob, I like what we first heard about the routine and the journey. Can you take me through that? It was a family thing, as well?
ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, so when this was announced here a few years ago, my caddie said to me, "You have to make it here." I went to my wife and said one thing I want to do is play at Bethpage in a major championship, and she said, of course you do, because you've won many State Opens there. We made it our point to even during the winter, every other week I would travel down to Florida and work out at the PGA village, hitting golf balls, playing in tournaments, playing the winter series. I have a few students down here that I teach, so I come down and I would wrap in some coaching with some playing. You know.

You know, I didn't see my family much this winter, it was a big sacrifice because we wanted to make sure my game was sharp enough to compete.

Q. It was, and you had to pace yourself, obviously and I know there's emotions involved in it and then there was the internal grind of Bethpage Black?
ROB LABRITZ: Bethpage, I refer to her as "she" because I've always called her a girl. She's a hard test, and if you're nice to her and if you take care of her, she will treat you nicely. If you're not so nice and you hit it off-line, and you swear at her or get mad at her, she's going to beat you up, and you've got to be patient out here. That's all you have to do. Try to hit it in the fairway. If you get it in the fairway, you have an opportunity to get on the green close. If you don't hit the fairway, you don't have that opportunity.

Q. Competitive round No. 73 and I know there's a lot of different feelings about how you went through that round. You started very strong and you got to about 14 and then things took over, really tough finishing holes?
ROB LABRITZ: 15 was pretty solid. 16 was just dead into the wind. It's 500 dead into the wind and I didn't hit the fairway. Unfortunately that's a tough one. Hit a good lay up and wedged it in there. The wind was cooking at that point. I still had 24 feet for par. 17, the wind was just blowing so hard, and maybe it was adrenaline. I hit 5-iron and I hit it -- I just pured it, and kind of caught the wind and went way over the green. Didn't get up-and-down. And then 18, hit a good drive. Hit a good 5-iron. We decided between 5 and 6 and get it kicking right into the wind, hit a good 5-iron and I wanted to make the putt. I wasn't going to leave it short.

Q. It was about a 30-footer?
ROB LABRITZ: It was 39 feet actually. And I just ran it about six feet by and unfortunately didn't make it coming back. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Q. Every time you learn something from this experience, it was 2010 when you were on the green with Kaymer, and this is the first year that we've been able to have two awards on the tee before you teed off today, a Wannamaker Trophy and the crystal bowl, and the crystal bowl obviously is the game within the game for you.
ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, that crystal bowl, we were so far back, and Brooks, he's probably warming up here, no one's going to catch this guy. He's like Robocop right now. It's pretty impressive. I would like the opportunity to shake his hand and say well done, job well done. Hopefully we will on the green, because it's very impressive, very impressive golf talent to do that.

Q. I guess I'm asking also about the three of you coming this far, especially at Bethpage Black. It's a good accomplishment and the talent on the PGA professional club ranks?
ROB LABRITZ: You're playing against the best players in the world, and I know Ryan, being a former PNC champ and then Marty is just a great player. He was a software engineer -- not a software but a club engineer who can really golf his ball and the great thing about those two guys is they are just gentlemen. It's going to be a pleasure to stand on the green with them.

Q. The support of the club, as well as the family, can you speak about the club?
ROB LABRITZ: My club is very easy with me. They know how important playing good golf is. They know had a it helps my teaching ability. They know that it helps me as a person. I'm fulfilled when I play good golf and I'm fulfilled when I get a chance to work on my game every day. It makes me who I am. It's a big part of me and they know that, and they support it 100 percent, and that's why I found a home there. I think half of my ashes will probably be over there.

Q. You want your ashes spread over Bethpage Black?
ROB LABRITZ: I do. This place is a special place to me. Might take a quarter of them and maybe go to Shinnecock, too.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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