PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 17, 2024

Mark Hubbard

Valhalla Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Nice 68 for you today, what went well out there for you?

MARK HUBBARD: I putted really well today. I wasn't moving quite as well, driving it quite as well as yesterday, so it made it a little tougher. I think just that quick turnaround, didn't finish until probably like 8:20 last night, and do some recovery stuff, get home, eat dinner, all of a sudden it's 10:45. I'm like, Oh, God, I got to play. So just didn't quite have my legs under me, but my putter really showed up and kind of kept me in there.

Q. You mentioned yesterday how much you love this golf course. How does your approach change when we have weather delays and just the conditions itself change going into it?

MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, it didn't change much. I felt like the course held up really well with the rain. I know it was raining kind of constant, but I don't feel like it made much of a difference. It's been kind of soft all week. I think the biggest difference was the rough was a lot more penal today. So just kind of had to navigate that. I didn't drive it as well so I made a few more bogeys because of that. But, yeah, all in all, I felt like the course held up pretty well.

Q. This year you played in 13 events, made 13 cuts. Obviously playing well this week. What's clicked?

MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, I mean, it's kind of just been one thing or the other each week. Some weeks I've driven it really well, some weeks my irons have been great, some weeks I've done it all with my putter. So I'm kind of waiting for that week where it all comes together. But I think that speaks to the work I've done with my coach and just getting my whole game a little more consistent. I feel like mentally I've been pretty good, too. So, yeah, it's just been a solid year and like I said, hopefully I can get a tournament where it all comes together.

Q. Was there anything specific in the off-season that you worked on at all?

MARK HUBBARD: Not a ton. Nothing that I really changed. Just been kind of the same things I've been working on for the last year, year and a half. It's just kind of been steadily improving.

Q. You haven't had the opportunity to play a whole lot of majors. What kind of opportunity do you look at now being in the position you're in for the weekend?

MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, it's great. I mean, obviously you want to be in contention at majors and feel the buzz and the energy. It's a lot of fun. Going into the week I felt like this was the first time my game was in a position where I felt like I could do that, whereas before I just showed up and have been kind of happy to be there. And I think that showed just from a mental standpoint and confidence standpoint. I also think this is a good major course for me. There's so many that aren't. Oak Hill last year was pretty tough if you don't fly it 320 (laughing). So, yeah, going into the week both how I was feeling but also how the course setup it just kind of felt like I had more of a chance this year.

Q. What about this place do you feel is a really good fit?

MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, just, I like each hole seems really unique, it forces you to shape the ball both ways. It just kind of sets up well to my eye. I don't really like straight shots, so each hole kind of has a subtle bend to it and it's usually shaped well off the bunkers or trees. It's just really pretty. Like I told you yesterday, I just think it's a really good course. If you hit it in the right position you can really attack. If you don't, you're going to be penalized. That's what a good course should be.

Q. I'm going to, I looked at your tweet this morning with Scottie, did you know that was kind of trending a little bit there?

MARK HUBBARD: No, no, no idea.

Q. What spurred that one on?

MARK HUBBARD: I just, I mean, I saw as everybody did the mug shot and the police report, and I'm glad he made his tee time and, I mean, unbelievable that he gets arrested and then goes out and shoots 66. That just speaks to how good he's playing. He can't, you can't stop him right now. But, yeah, I saw that. I'm like, Scottie's bigger than me, there's no way he's 170. Like I got to get in the gym and stop eating so much of my kids' leftover mac and cheese.

Q. Is it still true that if you weren't a golfer you would move to Bora Bora, open a tiki and disappear?

MARK HUBBARD: I mean, look at this weather, that sounds pretty good right now, doesn't it?

Q. If you win on Sunday or you're ahead big on Sunday, will we see the Snail?

MARK HUBBARD: We definitely will not. I actually, the last two tournaments, I've switched to a longer putter, so it's even further down there for me to bend, and I'm getting older, got my 35th birthday coming up here next week, and, yeah, I'm not trying to get that low to the ground.

Q. Obviously it was a tragic and unfortunate morning. From your perspective what was it like getting to the course and getting into the course this morning?

MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, I mean, I kind of was late enough where I didn't really have any of the stuff on the way in. But just from a, I don't know, the whole situational standpoint I thought the saddest part was that the whole thing was about Scottie getting arrested and all that, and like I said, I'm glad he's doing okay and everything, but I mean, someone died this morning, and we were out there on the course, like I bet 90 percent of the people out here don't even know that that happened. That's not Scottie's fault at all, but it's just, I mean, that was the real tragedy today. So, I don't even know really the whole details of that, but I hope, whoever it was, their family is doing as good as they can be and thoughts and prayers out to them.

Q. Curious, you say 90 percent probably don't even know that happened. What do you think that the message is there?

MARK HUBBARD: I think it's a weird world we live in. With social media, I think the important stuff can kind of get lost sometimes. I don't really know how to fix it. I don't know what the overall message is, it's sad that that happened and my heart goes out to that family.

Q. If you won Sunday, what would that mean?

MARK HUBBARD: Oh, yeah, I mean, if I win an opposite field event it's great, let alone a major. At the end of the day though, I mean, my life's awesome, I got a great family and two great kids. I got to sleep in an extra hour and play with stuffed animals with my oldest daughter in bed. That's what it's all about. This is so cool being here and feeling like I can actually compete, but it's just my job, it's a job that I really, really like and I really, really care about, but it changed my bank account, but not much else.