RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 8, 2023

Chesson Hadley

Oakdale Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Good playing. 5-under, 67. What was working well for you out there today?

CHESSON HADLEY: I putted great. I did a lot of things well. My iron play was pretty sharp. But the putter was the MVP. That's the strength of my game. I just need to give myself enough opportunities and we'll be in good shape. I was able to do that today.

Q. This is your first start at the Canadian Open since 2016.

CHESSON HADLEY: Has it been that long? Wow.

Q. What went into the decision to play here this week versus years past? I know it was cancelled twice in that span.

CHESSON HADLEY: Well I'm like a millionth on the FedExCup, so that helps make that decision. And I've had three weeks off. I've played poorly this year. So I needed -- I wasn't in the PGA, Colonial or Memorial, so I needed to get out here and play. I'm fresh, obviously, with the three weeks off. I feel like my game's moving in a really good direction. So obviously got off to a good start today. Ready to keep going.

Q. I heard you mention that you got an old caddie with you.

CHESSON HADLEY: Yeah, so David Cook's on my bag this week. We started -- he was playing some pro golf and looking to do something different. So I brought him out here maybe two years ago. I just wasn't in a great head space. I wasn't hitting it well. I just didn't utilize him the way that I wish I had. He's so helpful. He's an amazing caddie. I'm just in such a different spot right now mentally and physically. So it was really, it was awesome to have him out there on the bag, to play well for him and to just to use him the way that an elite player would use a caddie. He's an elite caddie. So I'm tickled that I played well for him. Hopefully, I'll continue to do that.

Q. The news of the week, how little detail is shared with players at this point. How do you move through, move forward without knowing all the detail? Are you a nosy person about wanting to know more? How do you kind of deal with not knowing enough?

CHESSON HADLEY: The older I get the more I would like to be involved out here. But this is my 10th year and I kind of know how things go. I guess most of the time when they're making changes they have a little bit more detail. Obviously we just have a very, very broad and general framework. So, there's some long-term things that I would like to see and some short-term things -- obviously, we just don't know anything short-term. So, hopefully, they can get a move on it and they can start giving us some answers to a lot of the questions that we have. Because I, I mean, I know nothing. I know as much as you know.

Q. I gather that. And I gather basically a lot of conversations happening that are sharing of ideas, honestly.

CHESSON HADLEY: Yeah.

Q. Have you heard any good ones?

CHESSON HADLEY: No. I guess -- is it true that Jay said he's going to reward those who stayed loyal to the TOUR? Did he say that yesterday?

THE MODERATOR: I don't have it in front of me right now.

CHESSON HADLEY: He did not say that? I think he said that about Rory and Tiger, didn't he? Anyway. I would like to be rewarded for some loyalty. I mean, I felt -- those guys didn't do the wrong thing, who went to LIV. They made a business decision. I don't hold that against anybody. But I would like to be rewarded for my decision to stay loyal.

Q. I believe the quote was, to the extent of the guys who did stay, top-10 players who did stay will be rewarded for their loyalty, rather than, to a extent greater than they would have gotten by leaving.

CHESSON HADLEY: Okay.

Q. Which checks out.

CHESSON HADLEY: Yeah. We'll see what that means.