THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2023

Chad Ramey

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously first time playing this course; did a 64 feel pretty easy?

CHAD RAMEY: No, not easy. Not easy at all. I might have made it look that way but it wasn't easy at all. It was fun, first time to shoot a score on such an iconic course like this. You can't ask for any more.

Q. How did you approach it? Is there any nerves or little trepidation --

CHAD RAMEY: Yeah, there's always nerves, but it's just they don't mean anything. It kind of means you care. You've just got to deal with them. That's kind of why we play the game. It's why we're here is to have those nerves.

Just kind of push past them, push them aside, and just do what you've got to do.

Q. Obviously you've won out here, but it was not the strongest field in the world. I know it's just one round today, but seeing your name up there and knowing that you have that gear where you can beat all these guys even for one round, does that give you a little bit of juice?

CHAD RAMEY: Yeah, there's no doubt. It gives me the confidence, and deep down I believe I belong out here. I believe I can beat them. It's just a matter of I guess proving to everybody else that I can.

But it's nice to see my name up there with them because I did win an opposite-field event, but a win is a win in my book, so I'm not going to complain.

Q. Had you played the 17th before this week?

CHAD RAMEY: No. The first time I stepped foot on this course was Monday. I had played the other course on the Korn Ferry during COVID. I think it's the Valley Course. But I had never played the Stadium Course.

Q. What's that tee shot like compared to what you thought it would be like?

CHAD RAMEY: It's probably about like I thought it would be. To be honest, it made it a little easier because earlier in the year I was at Phoenix and played 16. It's kind of the same feel.

Q. What did you hit there?

CHAD RAMEY: Today? I hit a 46-degree, so pitching wedge.

Q. I know you had your first child last week. What does that mean, and how does it feel to play such a good round in your first full week as a dad?

CHAD RAMEY: It means a lot. Obviously golf is a lot less important now, and you never know, maybe that's why I played better today. It's a lot less important now that I have a child, and hate I'm not there with him, but just glad to be here and to at least play well.

Q. Have you FaceTimed or anything to stay in touch?

CHAD RAMEY: Oh, yeah, every day, probably three or four times a day, no doubt.

Q. Even this morning like before the round?

CHAD RAMEY: No, they were sleeping. He was sleeping. You know the saying, don't wake a sleeping baby, so I didn't get to talk to them this morning, but as soon as I'm done here, I'll definitely talk to them.

Q. What do you remember from that week at the Valley Course three years ago, kind of the first event back after COVID? Were you itching to get back out at that time?

CHAD RAMEY: Like then? Oh, yeah, there was no doubt I was ready to play. The week before COVID I had lost in a playoff in Mexico, so I was itching to get back out. My game felt good.

I remember being happy just to finally be able to play again.

Q. Did you think about how this event happened at the other course? Did the thought of coming back here for THE PLAYERS cross your mind at all at that time?

CHAD RAMEY: I mean, probably not at the time, no. But it definitely -- I'm glad to be back, there's no doubt.

Q. Did you watch this tournament as a kid?

CHAD RAMEY: Oh, yeah. That was the thing, so I knew the course very well just from watching it, even though I had never played here. I felt like I knew every hole.

The only thing that was a little bit of a surprise was how undulating the greens were. The slopes were a little bigger than I thought they were.

Q. You had a little bit of a rough start to 2023. Coming into this week, did you have any type of a conviction of a turnaround, anything from the first couple days this week that gave you an idea that this was coming?

CHAD RAMEY: I mean, the game has felt really close. I know the scores haven't showed it, but it's felt really close.

I just made one little tweak in my swing, and it really seems to be paying off. I kind of hit the ball where I was looking most of the day, and then whenever I did get out of position, I did a pretty good job getting back in.

Q. What's your son's name?

CHAD RAMEY: Nolan.