CONSTELLATION FURYK & FRIENDS PRESENTED BY CIRCLE K

October 4, 2024

Bob Estes

Timuquana Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Bob, 6-under 66 today up what a great round up what was working out there for you?

BOB ESTES: Thank you. Well, I putted really for the most parent. I didn't drive it all that great but when I did I usually got it up there on the green. Somehow.

And so, yeah, I guess I made seven birdies today and one bogey. Didn't make too many mistakes. If I did miss a fairway or green I usually recovered pretty well. My putter was really good today.

Q. You birdied all nose par-5s as we just saw. What was your strength on those?

BOB ESTES: I hit really good wedge shots I think on each one of them. I was about to go for 15 and the wind picked up so I ended up having to play a little further over to the right. Then hit a really good wedge shot in there and made that one for birdie.

On all of them, all four par-5s I hit really good wedge shots or pitch shots and got it up there pretty close.

Q. So you didn't reach any of the par-5s in two?

BOB ESTES: Well, sort of. I mean, I could have. You know, one time I hit 4-wood instead of 3-wood, but that's one where you definitely don't want to go over the back of the green. Couple guys did in the group behind us I noticed.

Then it's really hard to get it up and down, and so...

Q. Is that 6?

BOB ESTES: Yeah, I think that was 6. I think that's right. But anyway...

Q. That's no fun.

BOB ESTES: No, so I played smart. Kept it below the hole mostly. Like I said, hit really good chip shots, wedge shots, on some of those par-5s.

Q. You've had some good finishes this year; haven't kicked one in yet. Was there something that you feel like would make the difference if you accomplished that this week as opposed to the other times you got close?

BOB ESTES: Well, I mean, I always need to hit it better. I'm always kind of struggling with that, trying to piece that all together, be able to hit it a little straighter, a little better, hit more fairways, hit more greens.

But I'm usually managing my game well; my short game is usually pretty solid; I putted really well today. So I've been playing the game well for the most part every since sometime in the spring.

Yeah, just need to hit it a little bit better.

Q. What is it you enjoy the most about playing the Champions Tour? You've got some experience out here now.

BOB ESTES: Yeah, well, no, Champions Tour is great. Sometimes it's not even just about Friday through Sunday, it's the days leading up to the tournament. The practice rounds are so much less stressful; fewer players.

You know, it's mostly just the guys. Occasionally have a teacher come out and there is a trainer or two out. For the most part, it's kind of like a big reunion tour.

Then of course being a pro-am tour, you've got one or two pro-ams to play each week. You meet a lot of great people.

So, yeah, just those days leading up to a tournament are a lot more laid back, and when it's time to get after it the guys really get after it.

Q. They say it's more of a sprint than a walk to be able to get it done between Friday and Sunday. Sometimes you can have three good rounds instead of four good rounds and here you have to have...

BOB ESTES: Yeah, play good in the first round. It's tough. Only got two more rounds catch up normally, unless it's one of our senior majors.

And so, yeah, it's hard to shoot even par on round one and try to win a golf tournament.

Yeah, you need to typically shoot at least 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-under to have a chance.

Q. You're going backwards if you shoot even, right?

BOB ESTES: Usually. Yeah. The guys, it's amazing the talent out here and the quality of play and how hard the guys are still working.

Yeah, I think most people don't even realize how good the guys can still play. Yeah, it's very, very competitive.

Q. What do you think about Ernie Else here? He has just been all of a sudden, a bunch of wins.

BOB ESTES: Oh, this year?

Q. Yeah.

BOB ESTES: Yeah, he's always playing good, yeah, he had at lose two wins. I can't remember how many he's had. Couple very close together.

But he's that good. He's been winning tournaments his entire life; and so what a surprise (indiscernible) was.

Q. You still have the Persimmon driver, the last one you hit?

BOB ESTES: Oh, I'm sure I do. I got probably about fifty of them in storage, you know, few at the house. So you I've got a lot of Persimmon and lots of Bullseye putters.

Q. Is that like official, you're the last guy to hit Persimmons drivers in competition?

BOB ESTES: I'm not sure. I kind of heard that maybe. Back in the very beginning with all the titanium drivers and 3-woods and 5-woods, they weren't designed for us. They were designed for higher handicappers, they were anti-slice clubs.

So everybody was struggling with them to some degree, and so that's why times I kind of would get frustrated with it and kind of bounce back and start playing a wooden driver, one that you knew I could hit my fade with, because the way those drivers sat, yeah, it was hard for me to hit my fade, so that's why I would go back to my wooden driver.

Q. Ever take one out and fool around with it just to have some fun?

BOB ESTES: My original golf instructor back in Abilene, Texas had one built for me. I can't remember the name of company; should know. Has a custom wooden driver built for me, and so I hit it a few times and it was good.