KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2023

Steve Stricker

Quick Quotes

PGA Frisco

Q. 8-under today. What was working well for you out there?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it was just a really good solid round all the way around. Except for really the opening tee ball, I hit it in the bunker, had a 7-iron in my hand for my third shot into No. 11 and made a good par, just tried to get out of there with a par. Then from that point on it was pretty solid play. Gave myself a lot of opportunities, made a lot of good putts. Birdied a couple of the par-3s today where those were, when you made a birdie on those couple of holes -- I know Stewart Cink made a hole-in-one there, but making a birdie there felt like I stole a shot.

I made a birdie at No. 4 as well. That was playing tough.

So a couple par-3s where I made 2s it really gets the round going.

Q. Which of those three straight starting at 13, get you going?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I kind of, I had the opportunities at 11 and 12 and really didn't hit that good of shots in there. I hit a good shot at 11. Bad shot at 12. Didn't really give myself a good look at it. But then to steal one there at 13. It was probably a 30-footer there. Y.E. was on a similar line, so he gave me the line. That went in.

Played 14 smart. I could have gone for it again and just laid it up.

Then, yeah, 15 was in a tight little spot over there in the corner.

So putting those three together and then getting one again on 18 it was just a good way to finish and a good back nine.

Q. Were you aware at all at one point I think you were six back?

STEVE STRICKER: Oh, yeah.

Q. You just had your head down?

STEVE STRICKER: I mean, all you can do is continue to keep trying to make birdies. I was in a position to try to be aggressive and try to hit good shots, make putts, try to make birdies. That was the mindset. Also not trying to make a bogey. I figured if I could go bogey-free today I needed a good round to get right back in there. We got one more round and a lot of golf left.

Q. As you're making this run were you cognizant that Padraig was kind of stalled at 16-under or were you just, you just had your head down doing your thing?

STEVE STRICKER: I just saw him, both those guys, they kept going. I mean, I was 4-under and so was he. It's like I hadn't made up any ground at one point. So I was still five shots behind. So I felt like I still had to continue to try to make birdies. And that's a fun position to be in, to try to be aggressive and you really got nothing to lose, you're trying to move your way up the leaderboard. So that was a good position to be in. And then I don't know what happened to -- what he made double at 16?

Q. Yeah.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah. And that's -- off the tee?

Q. No, no, actually he hit a heavy approach in there into the junk.

STEVE STRICKER: Oh. But there's trouble lurking out here. It's easy to hit it in the hazard going around here and so you just got to play your game and see what happens.

Q. When you think of the course, when you step back and just think of the whole course as a Sunday round, what do you think about the closing stretch as a potential like for fan enjoyment, fireworks, that kind of thing?

STEVE STRICKER: Oh, yeah, I told my wife, I thought the finishing holes were great way to finish a golf tournament. Especially 17 and 18. I wish it was a little bit better at 18 where you could hit a shot in there and hold the green and try to make a 3. But it's a lot of risk. You have to still work hard to make a 4. You got to put it in the right spot, in a bunker or somewhere to try to get it up-and-down if you're going to go for it. You can't really hold the green.

But 17's a tough little par-3. I bogeyed it the first two days. Then finally made a par today, which felt like I did something good for a change there at 17. But it's a hole that you can make a birdie on, but if you don't hit a precise little iron, it can jump up and grab you. So I love the last two finishing holes.

Q. What's the carry-over, confidence-wise, having just done this at the last major?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I feel good about it. I feel good about my game. I feel like the things I'm doing I'm doing well and I'm, I finally took care of the ball today. I didn't make a bogey. Which is good. Yeah, it's golf, right. You have it some days and other days are tough. But it's, I'm enjoying it and I'm having fun competing out here and trying to win.

Q. Is it Izzy on the bag this week?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah.

Q. So you've had all your family members caddie for you and Dennis or Mario. What's the difference in voices from what you hear from Izzy, from Bobbi and your wife?

STEVE STRICKER: Well Bobbi hasn't been on the bag yet. So this is, Bobbi's playing in an Epson Tour event this week in Orlando. But we're just having fun. We're having a good time. She's nervous, I can tell a little bit, especially at the start of it all. But she's having a good time. She's adapted. And she's a golfer. She knows what to do, where to go, where to stand, knows how to be quiet, all that kind of stuff. So it's been fun having her on the bag.