PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 18, 2023

Josh Speight

Oak Hill Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. What was your club at 11?

JOSH SPEIGHT: 5-wood, my favorite club.

Q. Tell me the experience. What were the nerves like this morning?

JOSH SPEIGHT: It's more excitement than it is nervous. I mean, this is my second time around, and I've played in some pretty big tournaments before, but it's definitely nerve-wracking.

I try to turn the nerves into excitement and focus, but I was definitely -- my heart was going. After I hit it perfect with my favorite club, again, 5-wood, in the fairway on 10, I handed it to my caddie, and my hands were shaking a little bit after I hit it.

But, yeah, it's just cool to be here. It really is.

Q. What have been some highlights of the week? Practice rounds and...

JOSH SPEIGHT: I got a little bunker lesson from Chez Reavie on Monday and Mark Blackburn, and that was pretty cool. It was very informative and helpful. Something that you would definitely not teach your -- I wouldn't teach it to one of my students for sure, but it works great.

I only hit it in one green side bunker today and got it up and down. I almost holed it.

Q. Where was that?

JOSH SPEIGHT: On 7. Coming in a little hot, but it hit the hole pretty hard, and then I had to come-backer.

Q. Nice.

JOSH SPEIGHT: Yeah, this whole thing is really cool. My locker is next to Jordan Spieth. That's pretty awesome. I talked to him on the putting green for a little bit.

I almost played with Rory on Tuesday. I was going to play with them, but they were kind of doing a Ryder Cup thing, and I just decided to do my own thing.

Yeah, this whole experience is just great. It's awesome that the PGA of America gives us this opportunity.

Q. Tell me a little bit about your facility and what your role is there.

JOSH SPEIGHT: I'm the director of instruction at the Club at Viniterra in New Kent, Virginia, which is like 25 minutes outside of Richmond. Its right off of 64 right between Richmond and Williamsburg.

Q. Club at?

JOSH SPEIGHT: The Club at Viniterra. When the place was originally built, it was attached to the New Kent Winery, so Vineyard Viniterra. That's where they got that. Vineland is I think what it means.

It's a great facility. Really, really good Rees Jones golf course, and I teach five days a week, six, seven lessons a day. I don't really have anything to do with daily operations, which works out great for me. A little bit lower stress, and I can make my own schedule.

It was very easy after I qualified to be able to come here with not having to take vacation time or ask. I did have a very busy two weeks getting here knowing after Wednesday of the National Club Pro that I had ten days before I had to be here.

Yeah, I do the teaching thing because I really like to help people play better, and it works out great with my two little kids and my wife's schedule, too.

Q. Finally, what does it mean? Now you go back, give lessons, and the guy that's listening to you said, this guy just went and played in the PGA Championship.

JOSH SPEIGHT: Yeah, I'm hoping that I'll get some more students out of it. But, yeah, I think it just kind of validates that I know what I'm talking about a little bit.

I also like to take my students on the course and I'm playing with them most of the time to kind of show them how to hit the shots and what I'm trying to do to help them with their game. I think that validates it some, too. I'm hoping this will help.