RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 9, 2023

Harry Higgs

Oakdale Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Bogey-free 66 today. What was working for you?

HARRY HIGGS: Everything. I drove it a lot better today than I did yesterday. Then when I did miss the fairway it was usually on the fat side for approach. So I didn't have to hit it out of rough over bunkers or over corners of the greens. So I was able to kind of chop and hack it out and run it up on to some greens. Which was nice. Then I heard a lot of, I hit a lot of good putts and I hit a lot of really good iron shots today too. So everything, really.

Q. Coming into the week haven't been on the weekend in a little while?

HARRY HIGGS: Sure, yeah, I have not played good golf at all.

Q. Did you feel this coming?

HARRY HIGGS: I felt it was going to come within a month. Everybody works really hard. I kind of started working even harder, which is, there's always a fine line that you also need to rest and relax and get away and still find enjoyment in the game. Not create such like a work like atmosphere. But I knew that I was on, finally on the right path. I figured within a month. I'm thrilled that it's been two days and I have a chance this weekend. But even if the next couple days don't go as maybe I hope, I know that I'm kind of building something. And who knows what that may be. But I feel like I'm starting and have the opportunity to hit some good golf shots for once, which just is really a nice feeling.

Q. What told you that it was going to come within a month?

HARRY HIGGS: I'm able -- about 50 percent of the time I'm able to keep my arms in front of me. I mean, it is a technical thing. Which kind of stinks. And then I have been pretty miserable on the golf course for probably a year plus. Like I was just tired of it. So it shouldn't have lasted a year, it should last a week. I allowed it to last a year. I'm just trying to enjoy what I get to do. I know for most people that sounds ridiculous, but it's hard, it's hard work, golf is hard. It's the greatest game, but it's the most miserable as well. Life outside of golf is great. I'm just trying to let that bleed into on the golf course. I thought I did a really good job of it the last two days and there's no guarantee that I'll continue to do a great job of it, but I just, I made the choice again. I made this choice before and let it get the best of me. I made the choice again and I'm going to keep working and trying to continue to just enjoy it. Whether I go out tomorrow and shoot a couple over and don't hit any good shots. Like just find a way to enjoy it.

Q. Do you have to think that way mid round? Like do you have to tell yourself that?

HARRY HIGGS: Yeah, yesterday, yesterday I started the day and I was certainly my arms were stuck behind me. So I mean basically I just teed off and walked down into the right rough. Which is nice, because now they're not going left and right, they're just going right. So that's a start. But I just kept telling myself yesterday that I know this is going to come. I know the little cues that I'm trying to do that I can do on the driving range, I am not, I'm 50/50 on the golf course at the moment. That's fine. That it's going to come, it's going to come. Like, let's just do our best to hang in, hang in and hang in. And if it comes this week, great. Basically if it feels like it comes I feel like I can beat everybody. So kind of that was the game plan yesterday.

Then I did, I felt I hit one shot like exactly how I wanted to yesterday. And I was upwards of 10 or 12 today. So the goal is to just stay in my little cocoon process and work to hit more than 10 or 12 tomorrow. And then just like do my best to smile and enjoy this. I had no idea that I had this many fans in Canada. It's still weird. I'm still getting used to it. Even back home in the States. But today was the first day in a long time where people were screaming and yelling at me and encouraging me and that I looked up. It was certainly easier because I was playing a very nice round of golf. But it shouldn't, that shouldn't matter. I should be able to look up and appreciate that there are people that root for me. Sometimes they say some pretty stupid stuff, but even when they say stupid stuff, look up, smile, wave, that's just away to enjoy it. I really felt like I played golf today like myself, not somebody that's impersonating Harry Higgs, which is, I feel really light and really airy right now. That's a nice thing. I haven't done it in probably over a year.

Q. You said 50/50 feeling like your arms are behind you or ahead of you. Is 100 percent possible or is it trying to get as close to that as possible?

HARRY HIGGS: Yeah, I think a hundred percent's possible, but it's probably not possible. Again, today, it was 10 or 12 swings where, okay, I did it and I shot 6-under and didn't make a bogey. So I guess maybe you don't need it to happen all the time. Then when it doesn't happen, miss in the right spots, rely on your short game, hole a couple par putts. I would love for it to happen a hundred percent of the time but I think if it happens a hundred percent of the time then you lip out a bunch of putts and it's just like you shoot the easiest 2-under par of all time and you're left scratching your head and frustrated. So I would like easy 2-under par sounds great. Today was relatively easy 6-under. So it certainly was a good day.

Q. You said this has been going on for a year. Was there something that happened or what led to the shift that you're like, okay, I don't want to do this anymore?

HARRY HIGGS: Yeah, well, I mean, everybody has told me and it's, you know, let's, basically get our guy back, right. Get the fun loving, smiley, happy Harry. And, yeah, I know that, but it's just difficult in the moment. What led to it is expectations. Like this is my fourth year and I still haven't felt like I've played up to the abilities that I have. I've done it in spurts and I've not done it consistently. And then expectations and that leads then to frustration. So I'm sure it was little easier for me this week. I played poor golf for the last four or five weeks. Well I don't expect much and I feel like I'm and good path and let's see what happens. And then, boom, you're thrust into it. And it's difficult. Now I have to answer questions about it, right. So, fortunately, I'll have plenty of time tonight and tomorrow morning to kind of get refocused on, hey, man, what am I going to try to do tomorrow. I'm going to try to enjoy being out here and enjoy the chance that I have to win a golf tournament. Try to put myself in a position to do so come Sunday. Get better swinging the golf club. But missing cuts stinks, but it's also a missed opportunity of two days in the arena to get better. So I have not been able to do that for a long time. And then really lastly what happened was the PGA TOUR and professional golf turned into work a lot faster than I thought or was ready for. So having to manage how hard I need to work, how often I need to be doing this. And then kind of once I get a scorecard in my pocket, all right, man, you've done all you can, just go out there and enjoy it, right. And enjoy, find a way to enjoy hitting poor shots in front of people. I don't think I was ever really ready to hit really bad golf shots in front of hundreds or even 10 people. So I've just simply recognized it and, sadly, I'm always aware of it. And just kind of let it, you know, keep it aside, keep it aside, keep it aside. But at least now you've recognized it and I'm trying my best to snap out of it quicker.