THE G4D OPEN

May 9, 2023

Kipp Popert

Mixed Zone

Q. Great to see you. How excited are you to be here?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, it's brilliant. Having 80 players with disability playing in our first major or our first Open Championship is pretty cool.

Q. Tell us about your journey in golf and getting to this stage.

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, so I grew up with cerebral palsy. I've have two parents that's doctors, so that's been brilliant. My dad used to play cricket when I was born, and then when they stated to have a family, my mum was -- you're not allowed seven hours to play correct, so instead played golf.

I grew up playing golf with my dad. We used to watch Bobby Jones videos. I used to walk with a plastic golf club and used that as my crutch walking around the house. For me then it was playing with my dad that was the reason I played golf, and then I've always been competitive, and I just used golf as my vehicle to better myself I guess in the sense of you've got the handicap system. So when I was off 20, I wanted to be off 18 and when I was off 18, I wanted to be off 16.

It's been brilliant. I'm very grateful to golf and what it's given me.

Q. I know the challenges you've had with surgeries, document by the DP World and ourselves, but how proud are you to get to this stage?

KIPP POPERT: I'm very proud but for me it's part and parcel of it. I never really saw those operations as negative. It was always to better myself. The opportunity to, if they came off, I knew they would make me good at golf, but they gave me the opportunity to work a bit harder, and if that meant that in the future I won a major, that's pretty cool.

Q. You worked your way up all he way to world No. 1, you've had great success. What's been the key to the last 12 months?

KIPP POPERT: Just doing the same I've always done. I've mentioned before in interviews, my grand dad would say, "Press on." It doesn't matter if I shoot a 62 or a 73. The next day, it's the same thing. It's what am I doing today and how am I bettering myself and what's the next task and pressing on.

Q. I take it your goal is to get your name on that first trophy?

KIPP POPERT: It would be a brilliant honour. I'm excited for the week. I've done a lot of preparation, so it should be good.

Q. I know you've done a lot with the DP World, the best players in the world, but how cool is it to be here with so many players across the world, different handicaps, different sport classes, etc.?

KIPP POPERT: For myself, I've now been doing the DP World Tour stuff with the G4D where we have about 10 to 12 players, and the first three event I did was on the EDGA where there's a lot more competitors. So I think for this, I've got all my friends from the G4D here, and then people that I've known through disability golf who play on the EDGA.

So to have everyone together is a really cool atmosphere and it's nice to see friendly faces.

Q. Biggest challenges for you this week in terms of competitors that will vie for the title?

KIPP POPERT: You have obviously all the guys on the G4D but as I said, I think the fact that it's an open field, there's a lot of other people that could come through.

For me, it's the same as pressing on and it's all about the challenge ahead of me. I think I'm one of the best in disability golf at focusing on the shot at hand. I love hitting good golf shots, whether it's to win a tournament or play with my dad. I just focus on each shot and try and hit it as best I can.

Q. What kind of test do you think this is going to be for your game?

KIPP POPERT: Finding the fairways is obviously key. Very tight, if you go in the trees, you're chipping out. To be honest that's my main aim, don't go in the trees, so I don't chip out sideways. Don't want to give my competitors too much edge. Yeah, that's what I've already planned to do. You know you're going to hit trees a few times around here, so just be patient, which I think I'm really good at.

Best you can, hit the fairway and hit the green and try to hole some putts, a lot like some other golf courses to be honest.

Q. You played the Amateur last year. How much has that helped you, a different championship, so to speak?

KIPP POPERT: Yeah, next week I've got the French Amateur and then the Brarbazon Trophy. Being in these big amateur events, as I told you guys, my aim is to be the best golfer I can, and that is to play the biggest events I possibly can in disability golf and able-bodied golf.

So qualifying for the Amateur was an awesome achievement, but I always want more and I'm looking forward to qualifying this year again. I love competing. Doesn't matter what it is.

Q. You seem quite relaxed, chilled out the last 24 hours I've seen you. Is it just the stages that you've played on? Is it just your demeanor? You seem relaxed, confident.

KIPP POPERT: I've always been very relaxed. I've done golf for 20 years, so hopefully I'd be good enough to just relax.

So yeah, I mean, I've not hit a shot yet. We've not played the event. I think the pressure or anything like that is an absolute privilege. I think when you have appreciate in your life, it's a good thing. It means you've done something to war warrant it.

Weirdly, when I'm in an event I'm more relaxed than when I'm not competing. I love challenge and being uncomfortable. I feel like I function the best. It's great fun. I just love it.

Q. Could you say your name, country, home club?

KIPP POPERT: My name is Kipp Popert. I'm from England and I play at Wildernesse Golf Club just outside of London. Yeah, it's exciting to be here.