PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 23, 2021

Ben Cook

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

Quick Quotes

JOHN DEVER: We are pleased to be joined by Ben Cook, Team of 20 member who closed out his championship with us with a 2-over par 74 today. He finishes the championship 4-over.

Ben, you really kind of finished in a strong fashion with a birdie on 16 and a really nice slick par save on 18. Maybe talk about that ending and kind of an exclamation point on things and the week that was.

BEN COOK: Yeah, a little sketchy there in the middle of the round but I'm happy I brought it back and made a crazy good par save on 14. I hit it over the green and got up-and-down -- we actually lasered it. It was 50 yards, and made that putt. That was great.

Then 15, made a good par there.

And then 16, probably the longest drive I hit all week maybe on 16. I had like 230 pin-ish but like only 208 to the front. Hit a hard 7 and got up there, and 2-putted to make birdie.

17, hit a pretty good shot. I mean, definitely safe side to the left but fine in that little collection area and 2-putted from there.

18 I hit it a little left but it worked out and got it up on the green and made a good two-putt.

JOHN DEVER: By doing so, you're the low PGA club pro in the 2021 PGA Championship. Must be a nice golf marker on your journey.

BEN COOK: Yeah, it's very cool. It's always something I've strived to do the last couple years and now that I've made the cut and was low club pro this year, it's definitely a goal achieved, along with making the cut. Very happy.

Q. Webb and his caddie had nice things to say about you yesterday. How did you wrap it up and what's next for you?

BEN COOK: Paul after the round was like, "Hey, use this as a springboard and see if you can build on that momentum that you created this week and see if you can get to the next level," which was really nice. They are hoping to see me out here on a more regular basis, which is great.

Q. Are you going to try to qualify for the U.S. Open?

BEN COOK: I have the sectional, regional, whatever you want to call it, June 7. I'm hoping to get the Columbus one. I think there will be more spots out there at that location. We'll see. Cross our fingers we get in for that one, too.

Q. What's your path to the Korn Ferry Tour?

BEN COOK: Making a cut in a major you get to skip to the second stage of Q-School in the fall. That would be worst case scenario.

I still have Latin American PGA TOUR status. If I finish Top-10 on the Order of Merit or their points list, I'll get to go to final stage of Q-School, get a card. Depending on how you play, you get better status.

Q. What was the support like? You had your family and friends here, but picked up support along the way, through the shirts or the great play, what was that like?

BEN COOK: It was so cool. Having as many people as we did at every hole, the crowds are great, a lot of cheers even if you hit a bad shot to keep the momentum going, it was really fun.

Q. As you look at all the things that happened to you this weekend, you're standing over a putt on Friday almost in the dark for eight feet, whether or not to stick around or go home. How crazy is that to think about that?

BEN COOK: Yeah, I mean, it is weird to think that it came down to the last putt on the last hole that I almost three-putted to miss the cut. But I made it thankfully and then without that, it would have -- none of this would have happened.

Very, very blessed and thankful that I made that putt for sure.

Q. What's the biggest check you've earned as a pro?

BEN COOK: Probably the qualifier for this, the national club pro, it was 37,000 I think. I don't know if I'll beat that this week or not.

JOHN DEVER: What are you taking back to your students at Yankee Springs Golf Course? What's the No. 1 experience or lesson you want to share first with them?

BEN COOK: Keep playing. I can take what I learned on even the driving range of how the guys are preparing for their rounds, how much like body work they do in the trailers, that is huge. Just getting your body ready to be able to play golf and hit a golf shot is a big thing that a lot of people don't do, especially amateurs.

So kind of emphasizing that I think would be good. And then just kind of how they think about shots on the golf course, course management stuff, yeah. It will be good.

JOHN DEVER: Sounds like you have a number of things to share.

Q. When you're playing the PGA TOUR Latino America, what's the farthest away you've been or felt from being home?

BEN COOK: I think Chile was the furthest south I was. I'd have to look at a map but I'm pretty sure I've been to Peru. Never been to Argentina or Brazil. Guatemala felt a little out there. Guatemala City was a little rough, but once you get to the places, it's great. The host hotels are always really nice and the golf courses have always been really good.

So once you get on property, it's just like any other golf course, and it's just golf at the end of the day.

Q. And it's kind of a tribe of people doing the same thing?

BEN COOK: Yeah, it is funny. Like flights going down there, half of the plane is other players, so you feel great about that. You share cabs. You share hotels. It's a little brotherhood, if you will, of everybody kind of splitting costs and going to dinners together. It's a blast.

JOHN DEVER: Thank you so much for being with us more than a few times this week. Thank you.