HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 18, 2024

Taylor Twellman

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Taylor Twellman in the interview room. Great playing today; up near the top of the leaderboard. Talk about how the golf course played a little bit today.

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Golf course is fantastic. For the amount of rain that they've had, playing fast, wasn't soft at all. If I was died and buried at Lake Nona I would die a happy man. This place is heaven to me.

Q. Talk about your round. Any significant birdies that stand out?

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Eagle at 11 was big. Driver, 7-iron into the green and got a little unfortunate that the ball didn't come right, so I made a long putt coming down the hill.

Made up for the three three-putts I had during the round. It was good. The experience last year has now given me just I think a propensity to enjoy it more and not worry about the result.

Today was fun. Also with a heavy heart, because Tim Wakefield is -- being in Boston for 20 plus years, Tim was of huge part of the philanthropic part of my life. Met him in so many different ways off the field.

So a lot of us that knew Tim really well it's with a heavy heart. Any time something went bad on the course today you inch yourself and remind yourself really what life is about.

Q. Yeah, I was thinking about that. You must have run across him a lot up there. Last year was your first year at this event?

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Yeah.

Q. Spent some time with him here?

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Yes. It's interesting. All those guys, the Boston Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics guys have always asked me why I don't play in it. I said, well I have to work for a living. You guys don't anymore. You know what I mean?

It was 2002 when I signed with the Revolution, and very quickly, whether it was Children's Hospital and other philanthropic events, Tim Wakefield was always there.

We connected on our love for golf. Whether it was Jon Lester, Tuukka Rask that is here, Ray Allen, you always knew Tim Wakefield was going to be at some events to support the city of Boston. He delivered better than any athlete I would argue.

He changed my life because my life ended with a horrific concussion right in the prime my career, and yet you saw what Tim did giving back to the community. Made me realize there is an opportunity here for me to take the negative part of the concussion, start a foundation.

So Tim impacted me way more than he ever did on the diamond, if that makes any sense. Off the field great guy and one of the best guys to play golf with.

Q. What do you think of Landon Donovan getting the golf bug?

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: I love the fact that Landon Donovan he has the golf bug. He and I have known each other since we were 16. I found out Wednesday that he has the golf bug. I'm like, you could shoot me a text here or there. One of the greatest ambassadors of the sport in our country. It's important that we are in this conversation because soccer is now in the upper echelon.

I think it's important that Landon Donovan gets the golf bug. Clint Dempsey all of a sudden has the golf bug. Dad over here, I'll hang with them, but it's been fun. Happy that Landon is here.

Q. Just a little bit about the uniqueness of this event and playing with the LPGA players.

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: I love everything about it. For me, this is the best event that any of us, quote/unquote, celebrities can play in. First off, the women players are bad ass. The way they play tee to green, today I played with one of the best individuals I've ever met in Gemma. One of the best.

She's an Aberdeen Manchester United fan. We don't need to hold that against her. But just the way they go about their business, they way they play, I love when amateur golfers talk about, yeah, I rather play with the men. Miss me with that. I'll play with the women every single year. Any tournament they call, they want to do something, I'm in.

The way they understand their role for growing the sport and also competing, I'm an LPGA fan for life. Always have been; always will. Got two daughters. Great ambassadors of the game. But they're bad asses. Anyone thinks they can play with the women, miss me with that. Good luck trying to hang with them.

Q. Last year when we talked to you a little bit after the round we were joined by one of your daughters, and now we are joined by another daughter. What was it like seeing her outside the ropes following you and did she have a fun time?

TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Lucy, what did you have, chicken parm for breakfast? Yeah, she did. I will say this: Being a dad is the greatest gift in life. Being a girl dad is awesome. It's a cool. They both play golf already. Both love getting on the golf cart with dad. They both love hitting the driver, just like dad. Love music, just like dad.

We have a lot of fun. The connection for us, if I give one thing to my daughters it will be the ability to play golf, because they'll have it for the rest of their life. More so when I'm long gone they'll remember the sport and the connection with me.

It's the greatest thing my dad every game gave me but my mom can hit a golf ball. The women in my life all play golf and it's great. I love it.