CONSTELLATION FURYK & FRIENDS PRESENTED BY CIRCLE K

October 2, 2024

Brett Quigley

Timuquana Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Joined by our defending champion here at the Constellation Furyk & Friends, Brett Quigley. To start how does it feel to be back here at v Country Club?

BRETT QUIGLEY: That sounds great. Obviously great memories here. Just a great golf course. Fun week. I know everybody, most of the players really look forward to this week, too. Just love the area. Look at the setting here. Love the golf course.

Obviously Jim and Tabitha, easy to get behind what they're doing and support them. They do such a great job.

There really isn't a downside to anything this week.

Q. Let's rewind a year to the final round. Just talk us through what you remember about that day.

BRETT QUIGLEY: I remember being in control and having -- I think it was a three-shot lead and all of a sudden it was a one-shot lead there after the par-3 there, 14. I was like, oh, gosh, what just happened?

Overall just great memories of the week and obviously making that putt on the last hole meant a lot. Having seen that is fun and brings a smile to my face.

Q. Brett, obviously if you win at any golf course you probably got pretty good feelings. Is there something about that golf course that sets up well to your game, or maybe not? If not, how do you overcome the parts that make you feel uncomfortable out there?

BRETT QUIGLEY: So I grew up in Rhode Island playing Donald Ross golf courses. Donald Ross golf course here. So similar areas around the greens where your short game has to be pretty darn good. I think growing up at Rhode Island Country Club, Brad Faxon grew up there; great short game. Billy Andrade grew up there; great short game. I grew up playing there; pretty good short game.

This has a lot of similar feel to that growing up, and really need a useful short game. It saves you a lot out here. Just this golf course is tough. If you're off a little bit there is a lot of run-off areas on these greens. Just felt good. It's just a good, old school golf course.

Q. Looked at the last three winners, Phil overpowered the golf course; led the field in driving distance; about half the fairways. And then Stricker hit a lot of fairways. You hit more greens than those two guys did all week. So what do you think should be the priority in playing out there? Or is it the kind of golf course where there is more than one way to beat it?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Yeah, I think if you get it, keep it on the greens, I guess I didn't even know that stat as of greens hit. For me, on this golf course, if you can hit it on the greens in the right spot, you're going to have some good birdie putts.

Again, with the kind of run-offs around there. Yeah, I would like to hit it like Phil for months so maybe that's a good thing to do. I'll take it long and crooked if I could hit it like him.

Q. As far as your game goes, state of it right this very second? Optimistic?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Yeah.

Q. Working on things?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Feeling the best I've felt. I skipped Pebble and to have last week off. I have a torn labrum in my hip so that's been a little bit of a challenge the past three months. This is the best it's felt, so excited about this week and the next couple.

I feel good coming into this week.

Q. Is there any stopping Ernie at this point?

BRETT QUIGLEY: He's really good. When he gets it going, makes some putts, he's in a good spot.

Certainly it doesn't look like it.

Q. Not every Hall of Famer who has won four majors comes out here and looks just as competitive or looks like he wants to be just as competitive as he was on the regular TOUR. In a way, is it nice to see Ernie come out here and really take it seriously, just seemingly just as much as he did on the other tour?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Yeah, we love competing and being competitive. Ernie is a heck of a chain. Play with him and Gene Sauers a lot at home in Jupiter. He's still on top of his game this year and pretty motivated.

As a result he's played great. When he makes some putts, he's really hard to beat.

Q. What's a new age in Champions Tour golf?

BRETT QUIGLEY: How old is Bernard, 130? (Laughing.)

Q. I remember a long ago, stats where the peak was 55. With the way you guys keep manage shape, physical therapies advanced a little bit and the equipment, you look at Bernard Langer, is the only limitation what somebody puts on themselves?

BRETT QUIGLEY: I think if you want to play golf, you can play really well. These guys have played competitive golf their entire life at an extremely high level. If they're motivated to play they're going to play well. If you don't want to play to travel, it falls off. Some guys are motivated by different things.

You see the guys that are playing really well, really like playing competitive and still want to play golf.

Q. How about your uncle?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Uncle Dan, yeah, great example. He is still playing almost every single day at 77. Loves playing. I skipped Pebble Beach two weeks ago and he called me every day to give me a hard time. How could you possibly skip? I don't care if you're hurt. Take more Advil and get in there and toughen up.

Yeah, depends what drives you for sure.

Q. Was he an inspiration to you when you came out on this tour? I remember when he started playing Champions Tour golf a lot of people had not heard of him because he had not played the regular TOUR on a consistent basis. So came out and just started winning and winning and winning, had 11 or 12 victories, which sounds like a lot until all of a sudden you get Bernard and Tom Watson and Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan and all these guys, however many they won.

BRETT QUIGLEY: Yeah, no, Dan's career, he was a club pro at course in Massachusetts. Had to Monday qualify and came out and Monday qualified and won and won 11 times. 11 times is a lot of wins.

But he gives me a hard time all the time about I've only won twice. So got a long way to go to catch him. He was so competitive. He loved playing, traveling, and loved being out here. Loved his job.

That showed in how he carried himself and how he played and how much he enjoyed it.

Q. What are you going to do about your labrum?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Probably surgery in another three or for weeks after Little Rock. And then it's about a six-week recovery. Be ready for the start of next year.

Q. When you think you're ready...

BRETT QUIGLEY: Take another two weeks off. That's the hard part, too. You want to get back. When you're feeling somewhat okay is not to rush it. Until you're 100% right.

Q. That's what they always say, I came back too early.

BRETT QUIGLEY: Yeah, you hardly ever hear anybody say I waited too long to come back.

Q. How much time did it take you in the physical therapy to get ready for each day?

BRETT QUIGLEY: You know, I'm doing stuff every day. I've already done an hour this morning with the guys. I hit some this morning. Got some treatment. Then I'll rest and then try to hit a few more this afternoon. That's been the frustrating part in the last three months. Haven't been able to practice like I want to.

Spend the time I need to to feel like I'm mentally and physically ready. When I'm physically ready, then I know I mentally can accept that, hey, whatever happens, happens. It's just frustrating not to have the physical part because it just affects everything.