ASCENSION CHARITY CLASSIC

September 8, 2023

Ken Duke

Norwood Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 5-under on the record. Takeaways from round 1?

KEN DUKE: Yeah, it was great. Had a lot of good numbers. Obviously made a few putts. These greens with this overcast are a little bit slower, so obviously it's a little bit easier to make some putts. We've played here before, and it's really firm and fast and you've got to watch it.

It's just a great day, great conditions for scoring, as well.

Q. How about the gallery and the crowds? Can you describe what it's like playing here?

KEN DUKE: It's great. This tournament is getting better and better. I know it's a new one, but we all love coming here. We all love the golf course and all the fans.

They really enjoy themselves out there. It's really great.

Q. Is it going to take a pretty low number to win this weekend? Looks like it right now.

KEN DUKE: I think so. I mean, if the conditions stay the same, look where we are; it's 5 or 6 a day. It's a bomber's golf course, and there's par-5s you can get to, but if you keep the greens a little bit slower like this, holing speed, it's really nice.

Q. What's it like when you're playing well, to shoot a round like that?

KEN DUKE: I just try to put my truck into drive and drive it. It's fun. It takes a lot of stress off you. You feel like all you've got to do is just swing the golf club. You don't think of anything, you don't see anything, you just react. Whatever the number is, that's the club you're going to hit. We just keep going. We just try to stay in front of us.

Q. First couple of years here when the players had a complaint against the course, it was always the 11th green. They felt the 11th green was a little too severe and they needed to do something. Where do we stand with the players and the 11th green?

KEN DUKE: I can add a few more greens on this golf course. There's just a lot of slope on it, and obviously that's the defense of this golf course. With the Zoysia fairways, you've got perfect lies. But it is what it is. Most of the guys hit driver there and try to get it up by the green where they can chip it instead of trying to hit a wedge in there. It's no different than any other golf course with the green like that. You just take it as it comes and go forward.