CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE

May 30, 2021

Jason Kokrak

Colonial CC

Quick Quotes

Q. Yesterday you said you would be happy to spoil the fans supporting Jordan. Did that motivate you?

JASON KOKRAK: I don't know if it motivated me or not but I told myself like the last time I would be, just stay patient, one shot at a time.

That sounds like everybody else, but you know, you can't get ahead of yourself in this game. This game doesn't owe you anything, and you know, you take each shot for what it is, whether you make a bogey or a par or a birdie. Each hole is an individual match against yourself, and Jordan was there the whole day. He was up a couple, down a couple, and I made my mistakes. He made his mistakes. I tried to stay patient. I made a couple nice birdies and a couple nice putts on the front to get back to even.

Started to hit the ball better through the middle of the round. A couple hiccups there. I missed 2 with an 8-iron. But things like that when you're in heat are going to happen.

Q. Front nine, three birdies, three bogey, wild ride. After 7, you made a bogey and you tucked your ball into the bushes. Was that the turning point?

JASON KOKRAK: I think any time you make a bogey when you're around the lead, I think it kind of sets a little fire under you, and I was just really more disappointed with my bunker shot. It wasn't an easy bunker shot. Not sticking to the stuff that's been working for me and I got a little bit out of sorts. Getting that aggression out on the golf ball is going to do more for me than hanging my head and doing anything else.

I stood up on the next tee on 8 and made a great shot, made birdie and tried to hit each shot and stay in the moment.

Q. Your strokes gained putting have improved; what have you been doing that's made the difference?

JASON KOKRAK: Well, I've got to hand it to the Admiral, David Robinson reading the greens. Ever since we got together four years ago, I called him up and said, listen, this is going a good ride. I'm a pretty good ball-striker and you're a great green reader and we'll make a good duo. I went to a different putter, more loft and I stuck with the left-hand low for the better part of 2 1/2 years probably.

Q. You move up in the World Ranking, Ryder Cup standings, what are your goals now for the rest of the season?

JASON KOKRAK: I've been planning on taking the next two off and going out and working with my swing coach a little bit more before the U.S. Open, and I think I'll just stick to what's working for me. Don't do anything that hasn't worked for me in the past, and I'd say this year has been pretty solid so far.

Q. Your second win of the season, I guess the obvious question is, how do you describe this day? It was an emotional roller coaster?

JASON KOKRAK: It really was. Did not have my A Game. I drove it well. Just a little off with the irons but stayed patient. D-Rob really talked me down the fairways and said it's a long day and we're going to be out here awhile. Made a couple nice putts and a couple nice saves coming down the stretch and definitely happy to be victorious today.

Q. Talk about the par save at 17.

JASON KOKRAK: Yeah, that was big. I hit a really bad shot. I got out of in front of the 6-iron, tried to hit it in the middle of the fairway and give myself an iron to the middle of the green. Too much downwind to really cut it. I'm not really a fader of the golf ball. Missed left with a suspect lie. Wasn't buried but it was definitely a lie that was not really comfortable with. Hit a good chip shot to five or six feet and I felt good with the putter all day and I just picked a line, D-Rob made a great read and rolled it right in the middle.

Q. The proud was pro-Jordan, obviously, he's from Dallas. But you didn't let it bother you; it was definitely obvious?

JASON KOKRAK: Yeah, it was obvious. A couple of comments I didn't appreciate coming down the stretch, but naturally you're going to pull for the hometown kid. I appreciate it. I appreciate the gamesmanship. Jordan was amazing all day. He's a true champion and he's won multiple times and is an incredible player. I'm glad to be standing victorious above a guy that's so good.

Q. Last night you told me you wanted to be known for more than just the guy who won in Vegas. Now you have two wins. This is a heck of a year you put together?

JASON KOKRAK: Yeah, I've had a nice, solid year and I've got to hand it to my sponsors, PXG and TaylorMade, Shawn Mullin dialed in a nice driver this week. PXG sent out a nice new set of GEN4s. And D-Rob and I have been reading greens pretty well together, and we're a pretty good duo these days.

Q. No. 5 in FedEx points. You're climbing all the charts.

JASON KOKRAK: I love it.