KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2022

Paul Broadhurst

Press Conference

Harbor Shores

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship here at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan. We are pleased to be joined by our 2018 KitchenAid Senior PGA champion, Paul Broadhurst. Nice to have you back, Paul.

This is our first time back here since that event just because of the unfortunate 2020. Tell us, you're back. How good does it feel? Do you get a warm fuzzy and maybe some recollections of what went down that day?

PAUL BROADHURST: No, it's great to come back here. It's been a long four years with the canceled two years because of COVID. It doesn't feel like I'm coming back as defending champion by any means, but it's nice to come back and play a course that you know you've played well on in the past.

So yeah, yesterday it was nice to get back out on the course and get reacquainted with some of the holes. Slightly different condition yesterday, it was freezing cold and blowing. I said to my caddie, I said, I can't believe I shot 8-under around this course, because it certainly wasn't playing 8-under yesterday.

It has warmed up a little bit today. It's still windy and it's still really tricky, but there's some tough holes out there today, and I'm sure they'll stay tough throughout the week.

Q. You shot a 63 on a Sunday; that doesn't happen on it doesn't matter what tour. You did it and you came from behind and you set a record. Yeah, this was your second major championship victory, but you kind of did it in spectacular fashion, didn't you.

PAUL BROADHURST: Yeah, I mean, I shot 20-under the last three rounds. I don't think I've ever done that before, and I certainly haven't done it since. But I got off to a rocky start the first day, 1-over par, was right on the cut mark thinking I'm maybe going home.

But I played well on the Friday, and then I just sort of got it going Saturday, played nicely, made some nice putts and carried it on into Sunday.

Straight away on the first hole I remember holing a 30-footer across the green for birdie, and then holed, I think, another three 30-, 40-footers.

Q. One of them was for par --

PAUL BROADHURST: One was a par on 14. I looked at 14, and it's definitely changed since we played there four years ago. They've obviously contoured it a little bit on the left-hand side of the green. The shot I had to play from a pitch shot, it's not there anymore. So that's absolutely different.

There's one or two holes, the look of the holes has changed slightly because I think they've taken out some of the bushes and stuff like that on 2, and on 3 it seems a lot more open around the green. I think they've made some changes there just taking some of the scrub out I think around the water so you can actually see the water a bit more than you used to be able to.

But the course is in great shape. Yeah, it's playing really nicely. Greens are good. Not overly quick, which is nice, because they're so slopey, and I guess the onus will be on iron play, keeping it on the right part of the greens, and if you do that, then you'll have a few birdie chances. If you don't, then you're going to be putting from 30, 40 feet, up and over tiers, down slopes. The onus will really be on some good iron play.

Q. There will be some three-putts --

PAUL BROADHURST: Oh, yeah, no doubt, no doubt.

Q. Considering the stakes, was that as good a Sunday as you've ever had at any level as a pro?

PAUL BROADHURST: I mean, the only Sunday that's come close was when I won the French Open I shot 9-under on the Sunday, again, to come from like four back and win by three. That was similar.

I mean, you ask anyone, it's always easy to shoot low scores when you're chasing rather than being in front. Ask anyone; it's difficult to win from the front. If you can get in the group one from the end and set the pace, then that puts a lot of pressure on the leaders. I managed to do that a few times.

I enjoy being one or two behind and just sort of -- yeah, I guess so, you go out there -- I wouldn't say there's no expectation, but you can play a little bit free than if you're two or three shots in the lead. You're leading, you don't know what's going to happen. You go out and try and play as positive as you can, but sometimes that's difficult.

If you're chasing, it's a lot easier.

Q. You made some big putts as you were saying on that Sunday --

PAUL BROADHURST: I've never had a round like that to be honest. I think I holed four 30-, 40-foot putts. You don't do that. You may hole one a round, but not three or four. I played some good stuff, as well. I made eight birdies, I think, no bogeys. But there was certainly three or four putts that were 30, 40 feet. Obviously that all helped.

Q. I know you've played here a couple different times; what's your favorite part about playing here and what do you always have to remind yourself to kind of focus on when you play here?

PAUL BROADHURST: I don't find it a particularly tough driving course. There's a fair amount of room off the tee, so that's not a concern. I think it's just positioning the ball on the greens. That's massive around here. You really need to try and learn the greens. That's difficult in a couple of days. There's so many slopes out here.

But there will be sort of paramount in my thoughts going out is to try to hit it on the right level, try and get it pin high if it needs to be pin high, to back off and leave it short if you have to be short. You just can't wrong side yourself around here. That will be my main concern anyway. That will be my main work, or what I'll be working on all week.

Q. We've been talking about four years ago but let's bring it into the present. You've played some really good golf especially in the last month, month and a half, a lot of top 10s, so you're coming in in pretty good form.

PAUL BROADHURST: Yeah, I've had a really consistent year without really getting right up there. I think I was in the last group in Biloxi in the Rapiscan. I shot even par the last day, which is not going to get the job done. But three top 10s in the last five tournaments, so the game has been in reasonable shape.

I'm fairly confident without being overconfident. I'm never overconfident at this game, but it's nice to come here feeling as though my game is in decent shape and not trying to find it when you get here.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to the week, see what the weather brings. I think the weather is -- the course is protected to be honest. If it's windy, it's going to be tough. If it's not windy, then the scoring will be pretty good I would think. The greens are not too firm. Whether they get firmer on Saturday and Sunday depends on the wind, I guess.

No, looking forward to playing, obviously.

Q. Steven Alker has been a big story on this Tour. Did you play much with him in Europe?

PAUL BROADHURST: I may have played with him in Europe, but it's a long, long time ago. I've played with him a few times out here since he's been here, and he's -- I think the fact that he's got no weaknesses, he drives it great, doesn't hit many bad shots, great putter, and he's pretty long, as well, it's a great combination out here. Long, straight, doesn't hit many bad shots and putts well. Sounds like Langer.

No, he's hit the ground running, and he's the man to beat at the moment, no question. He's putting the numbers out there every week. I'm not sure what his stroke average is, but it seems it's got to be 4- or 5-under a round because he seems to be shooting that every time he goes out.

We'll see. Majors are different, I guess. Yeah, he's been playing great stuff this season.

Q. Is there another one or two names beyond him that jump out --

PAUL BROADHURST: Only one or two? Since I won here four years ago, it's like the who's-who of golf have turned 50. Yeah, it's gone crazy the last few years, the names that have joined us. So yeah, the competition has got a lot, lot stronger. Difficult to name names, but you know who they are, Harrington, Els, Goosen, Jim Furyk -- is Stricker here this week? Strick is playing. He's just won, he's back to form having been ill.

So yeah, there's a long list of guys that are more than capable of winning this tournament.

Q. Are you suggesting they should cap the age up a few years?

PAUL BROADHURST: No, no. I wouldn't do that, no. Not at all.

I remember what it was like when I was sort of 46, 47, wishing my life away for three years until I was 50.

No, these guys deserve their chance once they got to 50, so good luck to them.

Q. You were mentioning Alker and he played up until 50. In your late 40s how much were you playing and how tough is it to fill that gap until you have that birthday?

PAUL BROADHURST: I finished playing in Europe, I was 46, 47, and I had three years where I genuinely played 65 to 70 pro-ams a year, all PGA pro-ams back in the UK, played mini-tours. I was determined just to keep playing. I worked with my coach Tim Rouse when I finished on the European Tour because my game was in poor shape then. So I worked with him for three years trying to get my game ready for when I turned 50. Changed a lot of stuff, changed a few things, and hit the ground running when I turned 50, and I did great once I hit the magic age.

No, I kept playing. I could have gone into teaching, I guess, but no, I just wanted to keep playing. I spoke to my wife, realized I wasn't going to be making too much money playing pro-ams every week, but I needed to keep competitive, so that's what I did. And I think you've got to.

Q. Can you spell the last name of your coach?

PAUL BROADHURST: Tim Rouse, R-o-u-s-e. Tim is captain of the British PGA next year, so I guess he'll be over. He'll certainly be at the Ryder Cup next year in Italy. But yeah, he's sort of captain next year.

Q. What would you make -- what would a purse be in a pro-am?

PAUL BROADHURST: Oh, in dollars? Anything $700 to $1,000, something like that.

Q. Is it a one-day pro-am?

PAUL BROADHURST: Yeah, yeah, I was playing two or three a week. Just to keep -- good week I might make $1,500. But it wasn't about the money, it was about testing out what I was working on with Tim and staying competitive. Shooting good scores in pro-ams sort of held me in good stead when I turned 50.

Q. Were these all in the UK?

PAUL BROADHURST: Yeah, yeah. There was one or two -- I came over to Phoenix and played a four-day pro-am. A British company ran it so it was all British pros and amateurs, but we came over to Phoenix and played a few, Scottsdale. I played one or two invitational things like in Turkey we played a pro-am, I think Clarkey played and a couple other guys played, so there was a few of those things that went on, as well.

Q. Down in Antalya, down on the coast?

PAUL BROADHURST: Yeah, we played Gloria I think it was. We went down there and played two or three times there.

Q. Is that the Faldo course that he designed?

PAUL BROADHURST: No, I've played the Faldo course. That's impossible, that course.

Q. Were you not able to keep your European Tour card?

PAUL BROADHURST: No, I lost my card in 2011. I had a shoulder injury in '10 and I didn't play half the year, and I played five or six events on a medical, but I had to win so much to retain my card, and I missed it by about $10,000. So that left me in limbo. I was out of it and didn't really get too many invites.

I did go to Tour school at the end of '11 but didn't do any good. So sort of that was it; back to the drawing board and try and get the game sorted for when I'm 50.

Q. How hard was it to convince your wife to let you do what you did?

PAUL BROADHURST: Not really. Where I came from money-wise I knew we could do that for three or four years and we could survive, but it was important that I did well as a senior.

Q. Didn't it seem like a long way out?

PAUL BROADHURST: It did, yeah, but I was playing that badly, I thought it might take me a while to sort it all out. I mean, at the time losing my card, everybody hits the panic button, I think, what am I going to do. But looking back, it was the best thing that happened to me. It was the first time in 23 years I had a period of time where I could actually work on my game and not go back to a coach and look for a quick fix, ready for the next week.

I was able to put some work in, and in the next six months it doesn't really matter whether you play well or not. It worked out good because I had worked with Tim and then go and play a couple of pro-ams, see how it went, then go back to the practice area and work on it again.

It was a blessing in disguise, I think.

Q. When you look back at '16, did you win late in the year at Pebble?

PAUL BROADHURST: I did win at Pebble, yeah, in September.

Q. You were one of the guys to get one of the last few letters from Arnold; is that right?

PAUL BROADHURST: Well, I think it was the last one. Because it actually arrived at my house after Arnold had passed away, so yeah, that was special. I've got that framed in my offices on the wall, a picture of Arnold with Ben Hogan and stuff. Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I was gobsmacked when that came through the post. Really, really special moment.

Q. When you were playing European Tour, obviously it was a thriving tour I think it's fair to say. It doesn't seem to be necessarily thriving right now. Are you concerned about its future?

PAUL BROADHURST: I am concerned because my son is trying to make his way on to it. He's 25. He's just sort of playing Challenge Tour. There's been no Tour school in Europe for, what, three years. My son has been pro 18 months and he's just sort of been playing third level mini-tours. From a personal point of view, yeah, it's quite important that the Tour sort of grow again, evolve again.

But yeah, it's been a difficult period for them. A lot of their tournaments they're only playing for like a million dollars, and the difference between the top tournaments and the run-of-the-mill tournaments is massive. It's tough for the guys coming through now. It really is difficult.

Hopefully they can turn it around.

Q. Could you have made a living on that tour now?

PAUL BROADHURST: On the European Tour? If you were good enough, yeah, you can make a living, sure. But some of the prize money is what I was playing for 20 years ago. I remember playing -- winning Portugal and winning £140,000 in a million-pound purse and that's what they're playing for now, and that was 2005, 2006. Yeah, it's difficult times in Europe at the moment.