HONDA CLASSIC

February 21, 2023

Parker Coody

Pierceson Coody

PGA National Resort

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Parker Coody and Pierceson Coody to the interview room at the Honda Classic. Parker got in through the open qualifier this morning via playoff, and Pierceson is playing this week on a sponsor's exemption. Parker, how cool is it to have the opportunity to qualify this morning and join your brother in the field?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, it's a lot better than staying at home or watching him this week. I feel like I keep saying that. But the goal was obviously to get to this week. I wasn't playing the Monday qualifier just to play. Happy to be out here and happy to make my first PGA TOUR start as a pro.

THE MODERATOR: Pierceson, we know you've got this opportunity and a couple others coming up in the next few weeks. How cool is it to be able to make your first start as a pro on the PGA TOUR, as well?

PIERCESON COODY: It's awesome. Just really happy to be out here. Thank you to Andrew George, tournament director, and like you said, I get to play a few others the next few weeks. This will be really nice to start off a good stretch of golf for me back in the States after playing a lot internationally for the Korn Ferry. Just really looking forward to the next three or four weeks and hopefully play well.

Q. How much more meaningful is it for you guys to be able to do this together this week?

PARKER COODY: I think, again, like we said this a decent amount, but the goal is to play the Tour together. This is obviously a great step in that direction, and hopefully in five, ten years we're still doing this. But yeah, to be able to both make our TOUR starts as professionals together, I think it's also we'll always remember.

PIERCESON COODY: I couldn't agree more. It's really cool for our parents. Dad is caddying for Parker this week. Mom is flying in. It's turned into a good week and it's turned into a really special week that hopefully we make the most of.

Q. Have either of you played the Champions Course, and what do you make of the course?

PIERCESON COODY: Neither of us have played. I got to play the full 18 yesterday and Parker just finished up the back nine this morning. It's really cool. It's really tough. You have to hit a lot of great iron shots. You have to lag putt really well. So there's no shortage of good golf shots required.

It's different than a lot of other courses we play on the Korn Ferry, so it's a really good test. Yeah, just happy to see how my game holds up.

Q. With a connection to Jack Nicklaus with your grandfather, what does it mean to be playing in this event that's hosted by him?

PARKER COODY: I mean, our granddad was a great tour pro for many years, and he's told us a few stories of playing with Nicklaus or coming down the stretch. I think anything you associate yourself with Jack Nicklaus is something to really be proud of.

For our granddad to be able to see this this week, I know he wishes he was here, but for the connection with our granddad, Jack Nicklaus, and then us being here this week, yeah, it's a really special week, and like Pierceson said, just try and build off it.

PIERCESON COODY: Same thing. He's given us a lot of advice. He's referenced Jack, he's referenced Arnie, all those great players that he played with. To see the Bear logo around this week and kind of think about some of the little tidbits he's given us about Jack is really cool.

Q. Speaking of family connections, you've got your dad on the bag this week, Parker. Has he done that before? Is that the plan moving forward? And how special is it to have him?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, he's been able to caddie for Pierceson and I for our first TOUR starts. Mine was the Shriners, his happened to be the Byron Nelson. He's caddied a good amount for my granddad, and he's caddied in the Masters, all the Champions Tour events. He knows what he's doing, which is really helpful.

We've made a good team so far this week. He helped me get through -- I think he'll be an asset this week.

Q. Parker, how early did your day start today? You just opened with the playoff. How many holes? Did I hear you hit a flagstick?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, wake up at 5:30. Playoff started at 8:00, so wake up at 5:30, usual warm-up and everything, and the luckily played one hole. I was out of there by 8:20, 8:25 and I was property here just right after 9:00. It was a quick turnaround, that's for sure. I was on the tee at 10:00, which you're always thinking about, oh -- you're not always thinking about, but there's always a what if or I should have made it on the number, whatever, all that stuff.

For not having a guaranteed start to then getting a guaranteed start to already being in here with y'all, yeah, it's been a quick morning, and I've still got to go play the front nine at some point, but yeah, it's going to be a long day?

Q. How did you win the playoff?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, I hit it exactly -- we're talking three yards off where I was in the first round, I hit it three feet, and I was able to this morning -- could not have been the same shot, but yeah, landed just short. I don't know if it took one or two hops, but I think it took a couple hops and just squared the flagstick and it was a foot. At that point I was just dodging a few putts, and luckily -- I think I could handle the one-footer.

Q. How many guys did you have in the playoff?

PARKER COODY: It was three for five, so including myself, two guys birdied the first, and to tell you the truth, I don't know who made it the last guy out.

Q. What was your club in?

PARKER COODY: I was 59 yards. Just opened up a lob wedge and pitched it back there.

Q. When things are going really well, what do you see as the strength of your game, biggest individual strength of it?

PIERCESON COODY: When I've had my couple wins out on the Korn Ferry, I've had really just kind of crazy hot weeks with the putter.

I would like to rely on that more, but I really like to think that I do at lot of things pretty decent and just keeping the ball in a good position off the tee and then running in some 15-, 20- footers seems to be the case when I'm playing well.

I guess just a consistent tee ball and a hot putter.

PARKER COODY: I mean, I like to think my iron play is pretty solid, so hopefully use that a lot this week. But yeah, usually -- just like Pierceson said, keep the ball in front of you, good iron play, and if you're going to play well, everyone has got to have a hot putter that week, so make a few putts.

Q. Legendary stories about how competitive you guys are obviously with the Texas stuff. Where does that come from within, and how much of that competitive fire in each of you drives the other one?

PIERCESON COODY: It's something that I pretty confidently can say we're both thinking about. I never want him to even get close to me. But I'm always so happy when he does well, and I think he feels the same way. We're always trying to beat each other by as many shots as possible. We love to compete, off the golf course, also. But it's a very healthy relationship, and we have a great time doing it. It's just once you're in the moment you're seeing to see how fast you can run.

Q. Parker, you said you played the back?

PARKER COODY: I did, yes.

Q. There's like a rule around here that anybody who plays here has to be asked how do you prepare for changing wind conditions, and what did you think of the Bear Trap?

PARKER COODY: I think with the wind, it hopefully doesn't swirl too much, but this will be my first time really with some big grandstands, so just really knowing where the wind is coming because you obviously don't feel it on those tee boxes, it's way too surrounded. You've just got to control your ball. Everyone has to deal with it, which is the nice thing. As long as you know what you're doing or at least you think you know what you're doing and then go from there -- sorry, what was the second part?

Q. The Bear Trap.

PARKER COODY: The Bear Trap was awesome. I've only watched guys hit shots over and over in highlights. It's cool to finally see it and be able to play in this setting. Hopefully I'm not on some Instagram post saying something dumb. But no, it'll be a fun week to really get to play it in competition.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you very much for your time, and best of luck this week.