U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 2, 2023

Rob Labritz

SentryWorld

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Rob Labritz, 2 under, tied for 4th right now. Just take us through your emotions of the fourth round here at SentryWorld.

ROB LABRITZ: I'm learning how to close, so to speak. My nerves, I get pretty nervous, I get adrenaline. It's not nerves, it's adrenaline out there.

I played pretty conservatively today. Tried to hit fairways and greens and got off to a really good start. Then held it together pretty good coming down in a major championship. Very grateful for how I played. Very grateful.

Q. You kind of won the crowd over on the 1st tee with your selfies. Was that love there the whole day?

ROB LABRITZ: Being out here, being a new guy out here, it's one of those things I want to take it all in. I love seeing crowds come out and watch us play golf. I love talking to people. I love being around people who appreciate golf. I'm a club pro at heart. 31 years as a club pro. Club pro transitioning into a touring pro.

So I always try to take care of my members and take care of the crowds. The selfies that I do on the 1st hole are really kind of for me to just kind of look back. If I ever get down or if I ever question myself about what I'm doing, I take a look back at that, and that gives me the perspective of what I truly want to do. What I truly want to do is win senior majors.

I can do this. I know I can. I've just got to season myself a little bit more.

Q. What did club pro Rob Labritz think of Bernhard Langer when you were working in that line of golf? And what does PGA TOUR Champions Tour Rob Labritz think of what Bernhard Langer is doing today?

ROB LABRITZ: Club pro Rob Labritz looked at Bernhard, idolized the guy. He had the longevity I wanted because I was getting to this so late.

Touring professional Rob Labritz wants to beat everybody. Internally, we all want to beat each other, right? So I want to beat him, but he's an amazing player. He's got a wealth of knowledge and a wealth of experience. I've got a few years to catch up to him, but he's -- our lockers are together all the time, Labritz, Langer, so I've gotten to know Bernhard over the past year and a half. He's a gentleman and just a great dude.

I'm happy for him. Even though I want to beat him, I'm happy for him. He's a really cool dude.

Q. Were you there at the same time this morning in the locker room? Could you sense that he was ready to do what he did?

ROB LABRITZ: I saw -- it was funny, I kind of joked to Retief. Retief and I played together three or four times, and we've been teeing off the 10th tee. We've been not playing great. Today I joked with him a little bit. Hey, we finally get to go off the 1st tee together. I saw Bernhard, and Bernhard had his game face on. I said, play well. He said, nice round to me yesterday.

He's an ironman. The guy is just awesome. I look up to him like I look up to a father because he's such -- the way he goes about his day and about how he plays golf is just remarkable. Everybody sees it. I get to see it firsthand and what he does, he's impressive.

Just like the rest of these guys, Jerry Kelly, Steve Stricker, they're all just great players.

Q. Looking like back-to-back top fives in U.S. Senior Opens. How does that make you feel for next year at Newport Country Club?

ROB LABRITZ: Awesome. To be exempt for this championship and not have to qualify, it's awesome. It's our biggest event out here. Yeah, I'm in the field next year, which is really cool. I'm really relaxed that way.

Then for us, we look at this -- myself, that's a good paycheck for me to get into that top 36. I want to finish in that top 36 so I can retain my card for next year and so I can continue learning.

If I can continue playing out here, I will win. It's just a matter of time.

Q. What's your overarching memory of this week here in SentryWorld?

ROB LABRITZ: Great golf course, great crowds. And then just great play. SentryWorld is a heck of a golf course. Then the Wisconsin people out here are just awesome. They just get behind golf. You guys don't have a lot of sports, I guess, up in this area.

To have the crowds come out and really get behind us and get behind guys who aren't from Wisconsin, get behind me, I'm a New Yorker about to turn Floridian, was really, really cool.

My hat's off to everybody out here. It was pretty awesome.