THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2022

Chesson Hadley

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. Chesson, describe how difficult those conditions were out there today.

CHESSON HADLEY: Yeah, that was all you want. I thought the TOUR did a great job on the green speed and making sure that there were -- No. 5 is really exposed so my ball was kind of oscillating over there, but I thought they did a great job of setting the course up.

I would love for 17 to have maybe been like five yards closer, but I played great today. I hit a lot of good shots. Birdied 15 and 16 to kind of give myself a little bit of a cushion going into those final few. I didn't finish the way I wanted to, but I hit a lot of great shots. It just didn't end up where I wanted them.

Q. What was the most nervy shot that you had today?

CHESSON HADLEY: Really? I mean, it's blowing 100 on 17 in my face. 17, yeah.

Q. I wanted to hear you say it.

CHESSON HADLEY: There.

I had birdied the two holes before that, so I was first up, and my front number was I think we had 117 front, and I never hit a full shot today, I never hit a shot that wasn't flighted or tried to do something. I just tried to hit this super chippy 8, and I did, I hit it the way I wanted to, I hit it solid, and it just -- I don't know if I caught -- it's blowing 100, so I don't know if it was more gusty, but it just went straight up in the air. I bet it was going backwards at the end.

Unfortunately the two guys behind me clubs off of me after that and hit 7-iron. That's how it goes. I made a tough bogey on 18, but I won't be the last.

Q. I don't want to stereotype, but usually conditions like this don't sit well with PGA TOUR players from a perspective standpoint, but it seems like you weren't the only one saying that it was fair. It was just hard.

CHESSON HADLEY: I will say this: The PGA TOUR, all tours should consult with the PGA TOUR on how to set up golf courses. They do an absolutely amazing job, and they did so today.

I've liked the tournament in May. That's just me. That's not me being critical or saying today was -- but I thought they did a great job. Bubba Watson is 4-under par. Unfortunately not everybody is going to see the golf course all 18 holes today, not everybody, so that's a little bit disappointing, but I think the TOUR did a great job setting it up.

Q. When you were starting your mental picture of 17, you're on the tee, was there any backing off at all or second-guessing or taking longer than usual?

CHESSON HADLEY: I mean, you don't want to back off because that just adds to the nerves. It was 117 front, 130 hole, 137 hole. I tried to chip -- I chipped a flighted 8-iron and it went straight in the air. Nice 5.