KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2023

Rocco Mediate

Quick Quotes

PGA Frisco

Q. We'll --

ROCCO MEDIATE: I just watched a guy dismantle this place. Dismantle it. Go ahead.

Q. All right. 3-under 69 for you today.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Ecstatic. What did I have to work with? Watching these guys play?

Q. How would you summarize your round?

ROCCO MEDIATE: It was nice. I was good. It was nice, I played solid. Then I kind of hit a couple funny ones. Got it up-and-down a few times. Made a couple, missed a couple putts today, at least one I shouldn't have, but I'm working on that part. Just stupid, stupid. But I'm, trust me, I'm ecstatic. It was good. Golf course is hard. Except for some people.

Q. I'm guessing Padraig might have a little bit more speed than you off that tee?

ROCCO MEDIATE: Slight. Slight. When he takes his practice swings sometimes our hats will move. Sometimes the hats will move. It's beautiful. It's great to watch. You know what's good and I'll say it, even though I don't give it -- Pete said something to me today, you'll like this, he goes, It's amazing how, you know, straight, pretty straight he hits it for the speed he creates. And I went, You know why that is? He goes, Why? I said, Golf swing's exceptional. So it's so good in so many spots, he just adds pace to it. It is -- I'm not even lying at all, even though I hate him.

Q. (No Microphone.)

ROCCO MEDIATE: Oh, Bender. You know Pete. I don't have to tell you who he caddied for. Norman, won't mention him. Finchy, Chip Beck, Lanny, I mean, and then me. So I kind of fit in the bottom ring of that. But, no, it was fun. It was a fun day. Two great guys. And I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the pairing a lot. I can't wait until tomorrow. But it was good. I need to keep to chipping, because I need to pitch and stuff around this place. A lot of worn out long clubs.

Q. You're describing this golf course as a challenge, but it seems like a challenge you're enjoying.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, I always say that the harder -- I enjoy that because the -- going around here in the pro-am you're not seeing low, you don't see 'em because then -- but then when the things change, the golf course is perfect. Wind wasn't that bad today. I don't think it's going to be that bad. You give these guys some different irons into some of these greens they're going to tear the grass off it. That's how it's always been. The advantage to length and youngness is exactly what he had, what you got. There's an advantage. Especially if you can hit it, you know, your dispersion is low and watching that -- Alker is the same, Alker can send it. He's a little guy. But some of us, we have to do it a different way. And we do. But it is good. Tees were fairly level today. I had to go with you on that one. Fairly level. But it doesn't matter. I always say we'll play in the street. There's a big thing at the end of the week someone's going to be really happy putting their arms around. But this whole facility is silly how good it is. It's a fantastic place.

Q. I was going to ask you about that, it's basically a golf city. You go to new places, but you come here --

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, well, when you, when you guys left Florida, we're like, what the heck's going on. Then you come -- well, you're in the middle of the country. It's ridiculous. And it's easier to get here. So you -- I get it. And then the whole, it's not even half done probably yet what they're doing. But it's remarkable. It's remarkable. But, yeah, you didn't really expect anything less. You didn't really expect anything less. But it's good. It's going to keep getting better too. The golf course was magnificent. Greens were perfect. Fairways were -- putting areas are good. Rough was high in a couple spots for me. If it's that high, it's too high for me, you got to cut that down. But it was fun. We had a good time. So get to the 64 guy. 3-under, you know.