PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 19, 2022

Dean Burmester

Southern Hills Country Club

Flash Quotes

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2022 PGA Championship here at Southern Hills Country Club. We are pleased to be joined by Dean Burmester. Dean opened with a 1-under 69 today.

Dean, looks like a really clean scorecard, a lot of good to draw on, maybe not the ending you wanted, but take us through your day a little bit.

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, just played really solid. My caddie and I mapped out everything last night before we went to bed. We wanted to leave the ball on the greens, and for about 85, 90 percent of the time I managed to do that, so that made my day pretty easy.

Yeah, unfortunate with the finish, but overall I'm super chuffed the way it went.

Q. How do you let go of the last two holes and go about your day and get ready for tomorrow? Is that easy for you?

DEAN BURMESTER: I've been known to be a little emotional. But luckily I've got some lunch before I head out and practice so I'll sit and have some good lunch and assess everything, and I think I'll be doing a little bit of putting.

Q. There's only 10 South Africans this week, good chances. Have you talked amongst each other? Have you shared information and support for the week?

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, definitely. I think Nick Price also won around here and Retief has won around here, so they've given the guys quite a bit of advice. I know the golf course has changed a little bit, but all in all, the green complexes are pretty similar.

It's a second-shot golf course. It's about where you put your ball on the greens, because if you short-side yourself around here you're going to have some nasty lies.

We're lucky enough to play practice rounds with guys like Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and kind of draw off them, and I've known the guys for a long time, and it's been a good prep week for me for sure.

Q. How much do those practice rounds this week really prepare you for day. You said you got mentally locked in. How much did those practice rounds really just get you ready?

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, they obviously get you ready. You go around mapping the greens, mapping the golf course. I stepped on the first tee and I just felt right at home. It kind of reminds me of a course back in South Africa up in Johannesburg. Obviously not Bermuda; we play kikuyu out there.

But knowing I was comfortable off the tees and being able to hit the golf shots, then it was easy. It was just trying to figure out where I leave my golf ball on the greens and what shots I want to leave myself coming in.

You know, sometimes it might even be better to chip from some places than it would be having to putt down the hill because you might not be able to stop it. The practice rounds certainly paid dividends. I started on nine and played four nine-hole rounds and definitely did my work.

Q. Did it clog up at all on any of the cross tees?

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, there were elements of it. You've got to be aware and wait for a couple of guys. Certainly 12, 13 and 6, 7, you've just got to wait it out, and hopefully the wind dies down when you get to hit.

Yeah, honestly it's not too bad. I don't see an issue with it, and I think the guys are all treating it with quite a lot of respect.

Q. Is 13 playing downwind today?

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, slightly, yeah.

Q. Did you ever have any moments where someone was going for it in two and it was clogged up a little bit on 12 tee?

DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, we had a little bit of wait. 11 tee had quite a bit of wait, and I think that was because some guys were waiting for it.

But once we got on to 12 it opened up and then we had a small wait for the green on 13. Nothing too serious.