CHUBB CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SERVPRO

February 18, 2022

Rob Labritz

Tiburón Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Rob, first round on the PGA Tour Champions in the books. Can we just get your thoughts on the day?

ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, you know, felt comfortable out there. I didn't make any putts whatsoever. That was the only thing that kind of held me back.

I hit some loose shots, whatever, but you make four, five birdies and you're kind of right there.

So, you know, just going to go out, work on the putting green, and maybe won't hit so many edges this time. Felt really comfortable. Had a great crew of people following. Yeah, felt really good playing with Tommy and Michael. Awesome.

Q. How did the dream sort of live up to reality?

ROB LABRITZ: Oh, the dream is great. I mean, you know, I get to do this now how many -- let's see, 3 times 26 and add another 4 is like, I don't know, 100 some odd rounds. I'm going to grind and I'm going to make more putts, and that's all I need to do, make a few.

But for the first one, a little bummed over par obviously. Making more bogeys than birdies, that's not my mantra. But going to stick in there and make more birdies than bogeys the next two days and we'll climb up that leaderboard.

Q. You told us yesterday I think that even if you shot a million you're going to come off smiling, and that was kind of true when I saw you come off. You still...

ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, I mean, you know, I didn't play great today. Hit some good shots, didn't hit some -- I actually played okay today. You know, I really did.

Make a few more birdies and the round is under par. Then I had a bunch of opportunities inside 12, 9, 12 feet which just kind of slid by the edge, hit some lips, and that's the way the ball rolls sometime.

Two more days. I made the cut, which is kind of cool. Just going to go low in 36 and see what we can do.

Q. How would you describe your comfort level stepping out here full time on the Champions Tour?

ROB LABRITZ: I've waited for this moment my whole life.

Q. Yeah.

ROB LABRITZ: I'm so comfortable out here. I love talking to people. I love playing with the crowds. Still hitting the ball pretty far, which is cool. You know, again, just got to make a few more.

It was just -- I don't know if it was me trying to make a few too many or whatever it was, but the ball just didn't want to go six inches down, it wanted to go six inches by the hole.

It is what it is.

Q. Can you describe what do you where your club job this year? Are you at the club much? How is that going to work?

ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, so I'll be at the club on my weeks off in the spring, summer, fall, once it gets warm up there. I'm not going to be in the -- sort of in the role that I was. I'm still the director of golf but now I'm an A3. In PGA terms that means I'm a Tour player.

I'm going to do a lot more practicing, a lot more playing with my, members and a lot less coaching, unfortunately. We're going to send a lot of my students -- I coach almost a thousand hours a year, so going to send a lot of my students to the other instructors that we have and other great instructors in the area, and just grind out here and try to just keep shooting under par.

Q. Who is out here with you today? There was so many people.

ROB LABRITZ: I probably had 30 members, just another 30 friends. I couldn't even tell you. I had a high school buddy that I hadn't seen in 30 some odd years pop up with his better half today.

I mean, it was just amazing to see some of the people that came out to support me. Hopefully when I hit other little pockets in the country, we have all moved all over the place, we'll get to connect with a lot more people.

But I'll make more putts. That's the main thing.

Q. (Regarding high school.)

ROB LABRITZ: (Audio glitch) And actually, Southington High School in 10th grade. I moved to Florida in 11th grade. We actually won our high school state championship in 10th grade, and then 11th, 12th grade, we didn't, so...

Q. Was this kind of the golf team with you?

ROB LABRITZ: No. Fast Eddie -- oh, this guy was just a good friend of mine. He was a year in front of me. But, yeah, so...

Q. What is your caddie's name?

ROB LABRITZ: Todd Luigi. He doesn't have a brother Mario, either, so...

Q. L-u-i-g-i?

ROB LABRITZ: Yes.

Q. What's the background on him?

ROB LABRITZ: So he's a retired police officer. We've been together 12 years, and it was our dream in 2005 when I left the Canadian Tour to come out here and play full time. So when we met, we met I think 2007 or 2008, just kind of focused on this, and here we are.

And now I just know I have to make more putts.

Q. He's a retired cop from the New York area?

ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, Long Island. New York and Long Island, yep. So if I ever get in trouble he's right there behind me backing me up, which is great.

Q. Security detail.

ROB LABRITZ: He's a security detail. I think I got to pay him more now, so...