BLACK DESERT CHAMPIONSHIP

October 12, 2024

Stephan Jeager

Quick Quotes

Q. A little bit of a quieter day but a windier day. How you feeling going into the final round?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, it was a struggle today. I felt like I almost hit it like 35, 40 feet on a lot of holes and these greens, when you're that far away they have a lot of slope in between the hole and you.

They tucked the pins a little bit more, too. You got to be pretty on and pretty aggressive into the greens. Some fit my eye and some I had to play away from it.

Wish I had a couple more putts to fall. The one on 18 was nice. Yeah, putter was cold today. Overall, still a nice round.

Q. In the mix. You mentioned being aggressive. What's the key tomorrow?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, I think obviously this golf course you first of all got to hit it in between the rocks, number one. So I've done a good job of that. I feel like it fits me off the tee pretty well.

Some holes I can kind of be aggressive on and some we have to all lay back a little bit. From there, I am sure they're going to tuck the pins a little bit more tomorrow.

They're a little firmer in the afternoon. Obviously late, late afternoon greens always get a little bumpy. It's a challenge. I'm up for it. Excited for tomorrow. Yeah, hopefully I can get a good one.

Q. You've won a lot. Won six times on Korn Ferry; won once out here. You're going to be I guess, what, two behind going into tomorrow?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Uh-huh.

Q. Have you won coming from behind? Are you comfortable doing it that way just as much as you are from ahead?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, definitely on the Korn Ferry I've won a couple from a couple shots back. You know, obviously last year I was -- or this year I guess. What are we, October? In March I was a little ahead I think. I was leading by one going into Sunday.

You know, it doesn't change the game plan very much. You got to shoot 5-, 6-under to win probably. If I shoot that and get beat I'm happy with it; been good week.

I can only control what I'm doing, how aggressive I want to be to some of those pins, how aggressive I want to be off the tee boxes. Hopefully I can read the greens a little better than today and have a couple more looks at it.

Q. The fact that McCarty is winning this thing and he has won three times on Korn Ferry this year, it's shining a pretty bright light on the Korn Ferry versus the PGA TOUR and what does it mean to win on one versus the other.

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, obviously he's had a fantastic season. To win three times out there in a pretty short season for them, it's pretty incredible.

He's obviously really talented. I've not played with him so I'm not sure. I don't know his game. It obviously translates really well. I think you see that more and more often over the last couple years, that that Korn Ferry category plays well, especially some guys that are good drivers of the golf ball.

That's kind of an important key on the PGA TOUR. If you kind of scrape it around the Korn Ferry and get your card you're going to have to get better at driving the golf ball, especially in places like this, right?

So hats off to him; 64 today was a hell of a round. But like I said, I can't control what he's doing tomorrow. I've got to stick to my own game plan and play somewhat aggressively some holes and also lay back on a couple others.

Q. Did you have to learn that playing well out here, it's all golf? Did you build it up in your head like this was some sort of a different thing and you had to change your game? Did you have to learn, hey, I've got the stuff to do it?

STEPHAN JAEGER: I had to change my game. I was a terrible driver when I first came out on TOUR. That's why I went back and forth a lot my first couple years.

So to your point, I did have to change some of my game. It's a lot easier said than done. I feel like driving is one of my strengths now, and that's why I can kind of lean on that a little bit. If anything else is not going well, I can drive it well and hit shorter clubs in than I used to.

So that being said, I think that's one of the biggest things that the good, great, best players in the world do well. They drive the ball far and straight. I think that's one of the things that I've worked on a lot and it's definitely gotten me some success.

Q. We just spoke with Harris. The Baylor school photo is making its rounds.

STEPHAN JAEGER: Okay. Which one?

Q. The black and white one. Keith is right here.

STEPHAN JAEGER: Oh, yeah, that's an old school guy.

Q. Stuck around at Sanderson to cheer on your buddy, Keith. What's it like to have that support and group of friends?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, we've known each other for a long time. Those are the two guys I first met when I came over in 2006, so 18 years ago, which that's a really long time.

We were a little different back then. Keith can attest to that. He was a little more goofy and is a little more laid back right now. Harris is pretty much the same. He's always been laid back.

I would say I've evolved a little bit as well. It's good to have those guys that you've been around those guys for a long time. I've played college with them; obviously through the mini tour ranks with Keith; and then on the PGA TOUR with both of them.

It's fun to see everybody compete. I wish the best for both of them. I hope Harris beats me maybe by -- no, I hope I beat him by one shot tomorrow. That's about it.

No, honestly, it's good. We represent that school pretty well. Obviously Luke being a part of that as well. I see a lot those guys in Chattanooga all the time since I still live there. It's good for me to be a part of that.

Q. Changes since that photo? You have your family out here with you this week?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, a lot of changes. I think for a lot of us. We're all married. Harris and I have kids. It's definitely -- we travel most of the time together which is nice because my kid's still pretty young. We can take advantage of that.

So we try to set it up as easy as possible so we can kind of -- I can see my kid and my wife and I know at some point that's going to be over when school starts. I'm enjoying the years that we can do that. Hopefully he gets to realize his dad is pretty good at golf at some point. I don't think he realized that in Houston.

I hope to get a little more success over the next couple years so he can remember a little bit more.