SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 6, 2024

Kevin Yu

Country Club of Jackson

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Everyone, we would like to welcome our 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship winner, Kevin Yu. Kevin, congratulations on capturing your first PGA TOUR victory. What does it feel like?

KEVIN YU: Feels amazing. Feels like a dream come true. I've been dreaming this since I was five. I just feel like to do it with my paints out here, it's really special.

Everybody was saying, like first win is always very special and only get it once, so really happy. And I still got to keep going and hopefully finish the season strong.

Q. Take us back to regulation. Birdie on the final hole. Had to wait to out at the range. What was that like?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, I knew I have to make at least a birdie to have a chance to play playoff. I had a great number and talked to my caddie, he loves it, too.

You know, I hit it to like 18 feet and that putt, I mean, was definitely stressful but definitely out there I was really calm and trying to do the best I could have done out there.

Pulled the trigger, and luckily it went in and it was great.

Q. What were you doing on the range while you were waiting for Keith and Beau?

KEVIN YU: Trying to just keep it warm mostly, and just trying to -- I knew if I hit a good driver I'll have like 170-ish yards, so I really just trying to focused on that distance and hopefully I can pull it out again like in the regulation.

You know, I did a really good job out there, yeah.

Q. How special was it to have your parents on the green there?

KEVIN YU: It was really -- I mean, it's crazy to think about it. I mean, they came here from Taiwan with me this week, and they been working really hard as well trying to put me to college and go through my professional career, and just to have them out here, it's really special.

I don't really get to see them very often, and I mean, to have them out here is very special. Just really thankful for them to be here. I think they're a part of the reason why I win today.

Q. You shared your dad taught you, got you into the game of golf.

KEVIN YU: Yeah, he taught me since I was five. He opened a driving range since I was very young. He been a coach and taught me how to play, yeah.

Q. Going back to the beginning of the week when you got here with your parents, do you mind sharing that story?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, on Tuesday we pulled into the parking lot. My dad was driving and he saw a parking spot like just like in the very beginning.

I told him, that's for past champions. We can't park here. He was like oh, okay, okay. We can park here after this year. You know, I mean, I don't know, it just happened. (Smiling.)

I think, I don't know, just a good start for the week and then had good momentum, and my dad and my mom, they always trust me very much and, yeah, that's very special.

Q. You kept your promise to get that spot.

KEVIN YU: Yeah.

Q. Curious from your perspective coming here as one of the younger guys in the game, what did you think of playing here in Jackson and why come here to this particular event?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, this is my third time playing this event. Every year I play I really like it. Just the course layout, I think it suits me very well. And then the greens are usually really pure out here. I love putting on fast greens. I just feel like the whole thing, the whole tournament, it just fits me really, really.

Like before this tournament I talked to my strategy guy and he was like, you have the best chance to win out here for this week. We did it. Yeah, it's a special place to me.

Q. Is this your first championship?

KEVIN YU: First -- third time playing this event, yeah.

Q. So what does it mean to you to complete that after having a few tries at it now?

KEVIN YU: I mean, yeah, like I said, first win is always special. The last few times I play here I think first year I finish around like 20th and last year I missed the cut.

After last two years I was thinking I love this place, how can I play better? I talked to my coaches and my guys, and we figured out a strategy and the game plan for this week. You know, we did really good.

I feel like I was playing better, too. So with their help, definitely helped a lot for today's win.

Q. Just what is your mindset when you're going through four days? How do you stay focused when it comes down to one or two strokes at the end?

KEVIN YU: I feel like this week I was really calm and just feel like little break from last month really helped me, just not thinking too much. I feel like to two months ago I maybe play like seven to eight in a row. I feel like my mentally was just really tired and just not really in in game that much.

I took a little break and now I'm back and I just feel like my mind is really fresh. You know, out here I'm really just trying to do my best. I know I can play good. I can win out here. Just really keep my mind really healthy and really just as simple as I can.

Still be aggressive, but be really simple, and that was my mindset for this week. Even for the last couple holes. Still just trying to do the best I could have done out there and not thinking about the outcome that much.

Yeah, it definitely helps with the easy mindset, yeah.

Q. Congratulations.

KEVIN YU: Thank you.

Q. First off, how old were you when your beat your dad for the first time?

KEVIN YU: I think it's around nine or ten years old. Yeah, uh-huh.

Q. Two shots into 18 today, the distances and the club? The two approach shots into the 18th green today, the club and the distance?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, it's like the same. It's 177 to the flag, and then I had -- first in regulation I had 9-iron and the playoff I had 8-iron, yeah.

Q. What does it mean to be the third Chinese-Taipei player to win here on TOUR and represent?

KEVIN YU: I think it means a lot for all the Taiwanese. I just feel like we have a lot of very talented junior players, and I just feel like -- because I don't think we have a path to college, you have to come to the States to study, and I just feel like nowadays you get a lot of chances, like going through the college system.

Like for me, I went to Arizona State, stayed five years, I was a first class of the PGA TOURU. I think that really helped me a lot.

I finished fourth I think and went straight to Korn Ferry Tour, and Korn Ferry definitely helped me a lot to prepare for this moment.

Yeah, just feel like I can be example, like CT as well, like to let those guys know that we can do it. I know we grew up in a tough spot. We don't have a lot of courses in Taiwan. The conditions are just okay, not perfect.

So I just show them that we can do it, we can do it by working really hard, have a clear mindset and dream big and we can do it.

Q. With this only being the second event of the FedExCup fall; project to do move to top 60, how important is it as you are trying to get into these Signature Events?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, it's very, very important. My mindset was definitely trying to win and we did it today. You know, to get into -- to play those Signature Events I think helps a lot for world rankings and just all experiences.

I just feel like that's very important to have. I'm glad I did it today, yeah.

Q. It was announced earlier this in week, Sanderson Farms will be back for another year. Can we plan you'll be back here next year to defend?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, I'll definitely come back. Before this week I heard this is going to be the last year. I was really sad because I love this place and I really was hoping event can keep it going.

I heard they're going to do it for another year. I was really happy. You know, I did it today to win this tournament, so be awesome to come back to defend my title.

Q. What is it about this event that you like and love so much?

KEVIN YU: Yeah, I just feel like the whole environment is just -- I mean, I like it so much. The course is great. Staff is awesome. The chicken they provide is really, really good, too.

Just the whole thing. I just felt like this week it's really easygoing. Like I feel like -- I mean, I just feel like really well and play good out here and I have that mindset and it helps a lot.

Q. Any plans for how you want celebrate tonight or later on?

KEVIN YU: Really don't know. I was going to catch a flight later on but I don't think I can get there today. So I'm just going to, I don't know, go back to the hotel and celebrate with my parents and maybe just have an easy dinner and we'll figure it out from there.

Q. Any shot in particular stick out from the day?

KEVIN YU: I would definitely say 18 in regulation. I knew I have to make a birdie to have a chance to play playoff, so just to see that I can really pull the trigger to do the things I wanted to do, I think that helped me a lot with my mindset.

I've been working really hard. Sometimes you can't; sometimes you can. Like today, like in that pressure moment, I can do it. I think that helped me a lot.

I think that definitely stood out to me for this week.