TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2022

Harris English

TPC River Highlands

Quick Quotes

Q. Welcome back. How is the hip and how do you feel coming back here and playing so well after the win last year?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, the hip is doing better. The toughest thing is walking and playing. I mean, I feel like back home I can go hit a bunch of balls on the range, but up and down these hills and being on your feet for five or six hours is the toughest part.

It's getting better and better, and I feel like the more I play competitive rounds out here, it's just going to get stronger. So I'm happy to have made the cut, made the weekend for two tournaments in a row. This is my third tournament back, so I am just excited to keep playing golf.

Q. Harris, can you take us through the last few months, what exactly the injury was, what you came back from, what you had to do to get back here.

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I had a torn labrum in the right hip. It's basically like a bone spur for a long time, at least ten years. Just been Band-Aiding it with shots and injections and rehab, PT, pretty much everything.

It just got to a point where it wasn't getting better. Pretty much waking up every day not knowing if it was going to feel good that day or bad. So just a struggle.

But got the surgery in Vail, Colorado at the Steadman Clinic, and stayed out there for about three weeks doing rehab twice a day.

So it was good. Kept me busy. I feel like my legs are really strong. It's just getting the walking component. Last week at the U.S. Open was a tough walk. I was pretty sore on the weekend there. Definitely feels stronger this week than last week.

Q. Was it a matter of pain management, or was it, I have to get the surgery done at some point, so might as well get it done now?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, more looking at the next ten years of golf. I want to be playing out here for a long time. I just didn't want to be hurt. Didn't want to be playing hurt. It's tough to compete even at 100% out here. There are a lot of good players and young guys coming up.

I was like, well, had two wins last year so I've got some status for the next few years. Might as well get surgery and get it behind me so I can get after the next few years.

Q. During the recovery earlier this year, was there anything you learned during that period or anything you realized?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, that I miss competitive golf. I was kind of getting tired of watching these guys on the couch. Missing the majors hurt me pretty bad. I love playing the Masters. That was definitely weighing on my decision to get surgery. I'm going to miss the Masters if I get surgery.

But it is what it is, and hopefully I can play many more. Really just I love playing competitive golf and I love being out here with the guys competing, so I definitely missed that and made me want to be out here even more.

Q. It was a long road to get back in the winner's circle last year. During that period after you got the surgery, was there any concern it was going to be a long road ahead?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Not really, no. This game has its up and downs, and I feel like I got a good team around me right now. My coach Justin Parsons back home has been awesome.

Working on the right things, feeling like I'm making great strides, and I don't know, I'm not searching anymore. I feel like I know what I'm doing. I know when it gets off how to correct it. So it's just been a lot more fun playing golf that way.

Q. How does coming back to place you've had success help in your comeback effort? A little more confidence I assume when you come here and say, I know what I can do here.

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, exactly. I have played, had some really good rounds here, and obviously winning last year is a huge boost when you step an property. You've done it before and you know what to do around this place.

I feel like the putter has heated up this week. Putted well last year. That was the strength of my game. Worked on putting a good bit the last few days and it's showing.

Made a lot of long putts, and makes the game a lot easier when you do that.

Q. Can you talk about the grip change a little bit? You just mentioned that with the putter.

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, just went back to the old one. Sunday of the Ryder Cup had to change it. Davis Love did some surgery on my grip right before we went out for singles. Tried to play with it in Vegas and it was deemed damaged, I couldn't play with it.

So I it off, put another grip on that I played with years ago trying to switch it up a little bit. Just hadn't really putted that great. Streaky putting, and put the new Ping grip on this week and it's worked out so far.

Q. You made that change the morning of Sunday singles?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah. Yeah, I walk in --

Q. Gutsy.

HARRIS ENGLISH: It wasn't on me. They made me do it.

Q. Oh, okay.

HARRIS ENGLISH: I walked in the clubhouse and Stricker called me and said, we got a problem with your grip. Somebody called in. I mean, I probably had that grip on there for ten years. It was all raggedy and torn up. They deemed it unplayable, and Davis Love did surgery and taped it up and I played with it on Sunday, and that was the last time I played with it.