KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 30, 2021

Bob Sowards

Quick Quotes

Southern Hills Country Club

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. We're here at Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Joined by Bob Sowards. Stellar 67 today. 1-over par or 1-under par for the championship. Currently tied for sixth place. Bob, just a terrific back nine. Really a great day in totality, but a couple birdies and a terrific par save on 18 amongst your last four holes. You really closed strong and for what was a special week.

BOB SOWARDS: Yeah, it was. It was a fantastic week. My caddie kept me in the present all week and I know I had a bad finish on the second day, but once I learned how to hit it out of the bunkers here and changed the way I hit bunker shots, I don't think I missed getting up-and-down. So adapted on the fly and played really well this week.

Q. I think you mentioned up there your daughter's graduating actually today? And you were going to stay home. Did they talk you into playing?

BOB SOWARDS: Yes, well my wife told me she goes, if you play well, you could pay for a year or two of college, so that was kind of the deciding factor. She rules the roost and I just pretty much do what I'm told.

Q. What are the emotions of the week? You're on the top of the leaderboard on Friday, have the great finish today, if someone were to ask you to describe the week, what are the emotions of it?

BOB SOWARDS: It's a fantastic week. Being on top of the leaderboard, walking down 10, my 10th hole or whatever, and/or the what 27th hole and seeing my name on top of the leaderboard, it was really cool. I hit a lot of good shots and take a lot out of this week. I played well and didn't really do much to hurt myself.

Q. What was your practice like leading into this week, obviously being a club professional and did you know you were going to play good or was it a please and the surprise?

BOB SOWARDS: Well I started working with a new instructor, a few weeks ago. I gave me some things in particular to work on, so my preshot routine is pretty much air tight because I'm working on something new. I hit it really solid, hitting it a little longer, so I had to get used to hitting it farther. But it worked out well and as far as practicing goes, I mean I play on Mondays at home, hopefully mix in another day and if I can practice one other day, I mean that's kind of my routine.

Q. There's a little bit of a duality in your play this week. You finished tied for sixth in a major, you were leading it for as we spoke of 27, 28 holes. But you're also the low club pro. So there's multiple platforms to be kind of proud of your play and proud your position, isn't there?

BOB SOWARDS: Yeah, absolutely. Winning low club pro was a goal. Making the cut was the first goal. But if I play well, I just wanted to see how my game stacked up against these guys, so playing -- I played against a lot of them throughout my career and hopefully I can play more with them.

Q. Can you maybe give us a couple high lights on that back nine? I know you had a great up-and-down at 18. A couple highlights here with the birdies?

BOB SOWARDS: I forget, you're going to have to tell me what I birdied on the back. I know I birdied 17.

Q. 17, you knocked it over with a 3-wood I guess.

BOB SOWARDS: Yeah, I hit a great -- hit three perfect shots. The chip was really difficult, knocked it 12, 15 past and then hit a great putt. About the same exact same putt as on 18. Left edge.

18 I hit a great drive down there and I was on a little up slope, I thought 7-iron might balloon with a little wind so I hit a low 6 and I don't know where it flew, but I obviously hit it way too far. Once I saw the lie I'm thinking, oh, my God, I'm going to butcher this hole again. But hit the one of the best bunker shots of my life and made the putt. So it's, so I salvaged it and it was fantastic.

Q. How close was the putt?

BOB SOWARDS: Probably about 12, 15 feet. Like same distance, almost exact same putt as 17.

THE MODERATOR: We have seen you make some good chips before by the way. You said you measure yourself against the best senior players in the world. You measure quite well. Any thoughts of coming out here move often, I mean this will get you in next year when we go up to Harbor Shores, but any thoughts there?

BOB SOWARDS: I'm going to try. I'm going to try to Monday a couple more times this year when I don't have to fly to it. But I would love to play more out here it's just a matter of getting in tournaments. It's hard to get in a golf tournament.

Q. You said your goal earlier in the week was to try and knock off some tuition. You did a pretty good job of that.

BOB SOWARDS: Tuition's expensive. I mean, it's, so I don't know what I made, but I paid for a year or two anyway.

Q. I think it's six figures, somewhere in there?

BOB SOWARDS: Perfect.