PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 20, 2023

Scottie Scheffler

Oak Hill Country Club

Flash Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Scottie Scheffler is here with us at the 105th PGA Championship.

Q. Could you talk a little about the tough start and then what you did in those last nine, 11 holes that might give you momentum for tomorrow?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I got off to a rough start. Actually bogeyed the first two holes. Three-putted the first. I hit a good first putt and good second putt, too. Just didn't break. Got myself in a bad position there on 2.

I hit a lot of quality shots there after the start. So I'm pretty proud of how I fought. I stayed in it. I think I'm only four back going into tomorrow. I started driving it really good on the back nine, and that will be important if I'm looking to make a run tomorrow.

Q. The irons better on the back nine, too, do you feel?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, getting closer. I feel like today was one of those days where the shots that I usually hit in there, you know, 15 -- 10, 15 feet, I was hitting to 20, 25 feet and then the 20- to 25-footers were going up toward the hole and burning edges. I hit what felt like a lot of good putts today that didn't really get the results that I wanted to, but I feel very good going into tomorrow.

Q. How much did you need to stop the bleeding at that point and how important was it to do that, given the fact that you are in this thing still?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I would say the par was pretty important. After that I played good golf, but I just kind of needed something to go my way in terms of just a couple good swings, just stringing something together because to start the day I got off to a pretty rough start, and righting the ship was important, and I still have a chance in the tournament.

Q. You skimmed the creek on 7 out of the rough?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah.

Q. It may not have been amusing at that point, but given the fact where you are, only giving up a bogey by skimming the creek like that, how important might that have been in retrospect?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, definitely important. That would have been definitely a kick in the gut for sure if the ball went in the hazard because I had what I felt like was an okay lie in there, but it changes so much with the moisture, and the ball just didn't come out the way I thought it would. Definitely fortunate to not have the ball not end up in the creek and saved me a full shot at least.

Q. Can you elaborate a little bit on your nine holes there. For a lot of the front nine, how close do you think you were to hitting a lot of those putts? It seemed like you were just close and you could have had -- seemed like you could have had a much bigger day.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I could have. It could have gone the opposite direction, as well. The front nine was rough. I think I was 4-over through seven, which definitely not the start I had in mind.

But the way I played the back nine, I started hitting a lot of fairways and hitting some quality shots. Outside of No. 15, I really hit a lot of quality shots, and so that's what I'll think about tonight going into tomorrow.

I didn't shoot myself out of it on a day where the condition were tough and I didn't have my best stuff. I hung in there pretty good and didn't post the number I wanted to, but I'm still only four back going into tomorrow, and if I go out and have a great round, I think I'll have a decent chance.

Q. You've got the know-how to win a major and you know exactly what it takes to win a major. You have that winning mentality. How crucial will that be going into Sunday?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: For me winning golf tournaments out here is difficult. There's a lot of talented players. I know what I need to do going into tomorrow. It's just a matter of executing.

I feel like I've hung in there the last three days to give myself a chance going into Sunday. I haven't felt a hundred percent with my swing. Going into tomorrow, I felt like I started to drive the ball well on the back nine, and hitting the fairways is going to be extremely important in terms of trying to make a run at the guys on top of the leaderboard tomorrow.

Q. How much pride do you take in yourself that you dug deep when you absolutely had to, and you're still very much in the mix to win this thing?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I did a good job of staying patient today. Like I said, on the front nine, I didn't feel like I was swinging it well. I was just trying to string a few pars together to get some momentum. I hit a good tee ball there on 10, and then I hit a good iron shot into 11.

I felt like I found something in my swing there on 12, and I drove it really well after that, pretty much right down the middle of almost every fairway besides 17. Like I said, that will be important going into tomorrow.

You know, Brooks has been able to shoot I think 4-under the last two days, and I played with him yesterday and he drove the ball fantastic. That's something that you have to do around this place.

So going into tomorrow, hopefully what I found this afternoon continues -- continues to work.