PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 6, 2020

Jon Rahm

Harding Park Golf Club

Flash Quotes

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon again from the 2020 PGA Championship here at TPC Harding Park.

Thanks for stopping by, Jon Rahm, opening with an even par 70 today, Jon. You really regained your form on the back nine. What was the difference there and how did you transition to your good side there, if you will?

JON RAHM: I mean, I can't tell you, it just seemed like a tough day all around. I was aware of if you don't put it the fairway, it's going to be a long day, and that's what happened.

On the back nine, I was able to make some clutch up-and-downs. I made a lot of good pars on 11, 12, 13. And then 14, 15 and 16, I actually was able to give myself birdie chances.

I was able to put a couple more, let's say, a little more playable, but the only difference was I was just getting those up-and-downs and kind of keeping the round going. I would say the key moment of the round is that par on 13 and then the second shot on 14 from the rough to 12 feet is what got me going with a lot of confidence, knowing that if I could make just one birdie before 16, I'd have a decent chance of maybe finishing under par.

But since with how the day went, honestly, even par is more than enough for me today.

Q. You guys have obviously played some tournaments without fans, and you will continue to play some tournaments without fans. So many of golf's greatest historic moments have this backdrop of these fans going crazy. What's it like, and in ways, are there certain ways that we are not thinking about how it affects you guys, from things like lost balls or trampled grass? Explain to me what it like.

JON RAHM: I would say out here, especially with how thick the grass is, there are a couple holes where if you were to miss it by a larger margin, the spectators would most likely give you a pretty good lie; where they are all walking, it's trampled down, you have much better of a chance. Now it seems like the more you miss, the worse it's going to get.

It essentially feels like the better player is going to have a chance. When it comes to those moments, I had a pretty good moment myself at Memorial on the 16th hole, and it almost feels anticlimactic, right, like you expect an explosion and just going crazy, and it just feels a little weird to be the one yelling because nobody else is. I almost feel like on the videos, they would give audio of people cheering just so it looks good for the future to come.

I would say people don't realize how much you can hear things. You might be putting or hitting a shot, and if somebody nearby is hitting a tee shot or even landing into a green close to you, you can hear that, you're so aware. It just so loud. Noise travels so far here, and especially if you're downwind. Every little thing, you're going to be able to hear, right, so you just need to be just a little bit extra focused or aware that somebody is hitting a shot. It's those little things that normally we don't hear, it's pretty loud right now.

Q. There's a couple holes where I only heard the flapping of the trash bags or things like that?

JON RAHM: That's always there. That feels like it's part of the atmosphere. That always happens. It's more -- for example, if you're on the 9th tee and somebody is hitting a shot into the 8th green, if it lands in the bunker or the green, you're going to hear it.

There's a couple other holes out there where you are close enough to where you can hear that noise and -- or just, you know, if it hits the trees or if it hits other things, it just happens. It's just golf. Usually when there's people around, there's talking, other noises, you can't hear. But right now it's pretty loud. Not so much on this course, but there's been other weeks where greens or tees are really close to each other and it's louder than people will think.

JOHN DEVER: Thanks for stopping by.