KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 26, 2022

Mark Hensby

Press Conference

Harbor Shores

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, and we are joined by Mark Hensby who just put forth an opening 67, terrific play, Mark.

A little bit of everything out there. I've counted really quickly eight birdies, four bogeys, six pars. So some ups, some downs. Way more ups. Tell us how you felt out there.

MARK HENSBY: I got off to a pretty average start. 2-over after two. Had some difficulties, hit it over the back of the greens twice, and if you do that out here, it's a struggle.

But then I got something going, made a couple of birdies and it's the sort of course that if you get it in the right plateaus you can make a few birdies and obviously you made a few birdies.

JOHN DEVER: Did you deal with any wind? Tell us about the conditions and the wet greens and such.

MARK HENSBY: Yeah, the greens actually held up, pretty firm to a certain extent. But the wind was probably stronger a little bit earlier. Not real strong though. I think it got probably about ten, 12, so wasn't terrible.

But it died down toward the end and now it looks like it's picking up again. It was a bit all over place.

Q. Talk about this golf course, what do you like about it? This is your first visit, right?

MARK HENSBY: Yes.

Q. What do you like about this golf course?

MARK HENSBY: It's got everything. I enjoy hitting into the greens. For me, I know Jack Nicklaus designed it and if you look at the green complexes, some are pretty wild, especially No. 10.

But I think it reminds me a little bit -- and I'm not saying Augusta and Memorial but you have that feel hitting shots in. Because if you hit it in the right plateaus as a said a minute ago you can make a lot of birdies but if you get on the other side of it, you can three-putt pretty quick. That's what I really enjoy about this course.

JOHN DEVER: Is there anything you want to shore up about your own game? What are you going to work on this afternoon that's going to fine tune you going into the weekend?

MARK HENSBY: It's hard. I think that your short game has to be good around here. Obviously short iron play for me. I have to hit a lot of 1-irons off the tee which is my 3-wood, so to speak, because I don't really need driver on a lot of holes.

Tomorrow the wind is going to come the opposite way and it's going to be a lot cooler. It's going to be a different golf course tomorrow. Just do a little bit of short game practice and that's about it.

JOHN DEVER: Why the 1-iron? You obviously hit it well and feel confident in it but not many guys do that. How did that come about? How long has it been going for you?

MARK HENSBY: It's pretty funny. I couldn't find a 3-wood so I found this 1-iron on eBay. And I bought it on eBay and got a guy to send me a shaft and put the shaft in straightaway. Went to the Monterey Open in California later in the year and won. Used it five times each round. I was like, this is the best club ever.

Even today on 14, Jesper was like, "What did you just hit there? " It's 450 yards off the tee, hit 1-iron, and hit wedge in, it went almost 350 yards or a bit further. It's one of those clubs that's really good off the tee but I it hit it in the water on 16. Yeah, it's funny, eBay.

JOHN DEVER: That's just remarkable. No one can hit a 1-iron and you're evidently the exception. What makes you -- was it an instant take? You won your first championship.

MARK HENSBY: Sometimes. It's a cavity-back one, not a blade like the rest of my clubs but yeah, just I don't know what it is with the setup and how it kicked in. Just, yeah, it works. But as I said, I don't carry a 3-wood. That's my 3-wood.

Q. You mentioned having an average start. After that, what did you do well?

MARK HENSBY: I played steady. I guess I drove it in play pretty well most of the day and then I hit a lot of good iron shots inside in those ridges. You need to get it in inside. But you know, it's just -- and this golf course as I said earlier, it's like if you can get it on the right sides and in those plateaus where you can make a lot of birdies because the greens are perfect. The greens are really good.

JOHN DEVER: Appreciate your time. Loved learning about the 1-iron and best of luck to you and the including this weekend.