U.S. ADAPTIVE OPEN

July 19, 2022

Kipp Popert

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 6)

Quick Quotes

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Q. We're here with Kipp Popert. Obviously probably not the finish you wanted there but still a great round of golf and you're right in the hunt. Can you talk us through your round today?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, I played really solid. I didn't have my best stuff, but I played really solid, and yeah, obviously the last hole wasn't great. But I've been through worse. It's all good.

Q. Two rounds in the books; what's the plan for tomorrow to keep yourself in the hunt and capture a title?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, see where the leaders are at and then get to that number as quickly as I can and keep pressing on from there. Obviously that 8 on the last didn't help, but I've birdied the last five before and I've just made an 8, so yeah, that's golf.

Q. Have you had the chance to bring yourself to think if you're the champion tomorrow how that would feel? Have you thought about it at all?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, I guess, but to be honest, there's still 18 holes left, and for me I think trophies are good but I just like playing golf and hitting shots. There's a lot of people back home rooting for me, and as they know, I give everything to every shot and that's what I'll do, and if I end up with the trophy tomorrow, that's brilliant.

Q. How is this experience compared to other golf championships you've played in?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, it's been run second to none. The way we've been treated, it's been phenomenal. For me actually I've really enjoyed playing with maybe golfers that I would never have played with before. I played with Billy and Stacy today and Rick, and it was awesome to see how they play golf, and yeah, really inspirational, and we all played quite well. I had a really enjoyable last two days.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about this course as far as feeling you might need to make up a shot, not knowing for sure what everyone else will do? What kind of opportunities do you think you'd have to make a few birdies out here?

KIPP POPERT: To be honest I'm not the person to ask because I forget the holes -- I sort of only see them when the stand on the tee. But the par-5s, they're definitely in reach. The greens are rolling really good, and I've putted really good from mid range this week. I know if I can just get a bit of proximity going to the hole tomorrow, we could have a nice low one.

Q. You've spoken about it a little bit already, but the celebration of champions last week, what was that experience like as far as with -- the opportunity to spend time with some champions like Tom Watson and Lee Trevino?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, it was absolutely amazing. I was picking their brains as much as I could. I just made an 8 there, but on the first of the Tournament of Champions I hit it to four foot. That's just golf. It was just an awesome experience. I learnt a few things.

But to be honest being with Tom Watson was cool, but I think having my dad carry my bag was cooler. I really enjoyed that.

Q. As far as your journey in the game, what gave you the thought, the possibility of being able to compete at an elite level and how you found out about this and got involved?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, absolutely. So I've always wanted to be a professional golfer. I'm still an amateur at the moment but I will turn pro at some point. I've always aimed really high. The harder something is, the more I want to do it. I probably could have maybe been a pool player or something and not needed my legs as much, but that's what I wanted to do, golf. My dad started it when I was born, so I've been doing it since I could walk, which was about three. For me golf was really important. I've had 10 operations, and as a kid, telling someone to wake up in the morning and do my physio, it wasn't -- my mom and dad never really had to tell me to do that because luckily I saw where I was going to get to in golf and know that I have to look after my body to do that.

The way I found out about disability golf was I was watching SKY Sports in England one day and they were playing in Scotland on the European Tour, and I just thought, I have to get involved, and I've met some amazing people, won a few trophies, and yeah, it's been great fun.

Q. The DP Tour has the concurrent events; are those played earlier in the week of the DP World Tour event or how do those run? Is it actually concurrent or the same week?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, so we play on -- the first year we played on a Saturday and Sunday in the morning, and then this year we have our own day on Monday and Tuesday, so it's two sets of 18 holes, and yeah.

Q. So the encouragement must be phenomenal to know that you're around this other top-tier event and people are seeing the crowds of rubbing off a little bit with you folks and there's more notoriety, right, for your game?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, all the DP World Tour players were so friendly the first time we got there. I've never had so many hellos who didn't know my name. They were just being really nice. I've picked the brains of a lot of them such as Andy Sullivan, and getting to play in the DP World Tour event at the end of last year was awesome, and I think I'm back there this year.

To be around the top best players, and then I think for me to be in events where the rough is really high, the pins are really tight, it's only developing my game and my course management better, so I'm learning a lot, and I'm progressing nicely.

Q. Is there any one of them that you would say, oh, he's been sort of my advisor or the person you kind of lean on a little bit? Any one or two in particular?

KIPP POPERT: Not really. Not really. I've played a few times with -- I've played nine holes with Sam Horsfield at the end of last year, played a little bit with Andy Sullivan, but yeah, I just try and -- I more to be honest observe. I just want to watch. You can learn a lot by just watching.