MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2025

Joe Highsmith

Quick Quotes

Q. Having the different steps you can see the progression, have some mistakes you got to learn from that rise and challenge those, how important is it to have multiple steps in the process?

JOE HIGHSMITH: For sure, I mean I still look back at all the struggles that I went through in college, or even before school and they have really kind of I feel like shaped me into the player that I am today and I learned a lot of things from those experiences and been able to take those and kind of capitalize when it's obviously meant a lot more than a junior golf event or whatever at this stage and, yeah, it's been great. Especially at Pepperdine we had such a great college team it taught me you need to bring your A game every day. Not making the national championship lineup was the prime example of that. It's pretty sweet.

Q. Particularly difficult shot out there for you that you've seen on the golf course for one of the first times of your career, anything stand out as being particularly difficult?

JOE HIGHSMITH: I think the whole course is really hard. I feel like 7's tee ball is pretty tough. Obviously like approach into 11. 5's a big boy hole. There's a lot of really hard golf shots out there. I've been fortunate enough to play quite a few times in the last few weeks. I've been hosted by a few different members over the years. I have actually been on the golf course quite a few times, but not really seeing it in tournament condition or relatively close to that. But, yeah, the course is a monster. If the wind lays down it's not too bad, but when you get some winds through here it can be pretty much every shot is tough.

Q. Have you had a chance to pick Freddie's brain at all?

JOE HIGHSMITH: Not really yet on this golf course. We're going to play tomorrow off the back nine. That will be pretty fun to get a walk around this place with him and hopefully get a few words of wisdom.

Q. Just nine holes with him on the back?

JOE HIGHSMITH: Yeah.

Q. What time?

JOE HIGHSMITH: We're going at 10:00. I think we're playing with Pat and Xander, so it should be pretty fun.

Q. So for Joey it should be pretty special too?

JOE HIGHSMITH: Yeah, 100 percent. And for me, I don't know how I'm getting in that group, but I'll take what I can get.

Q. I spoke to you three minutes after you won the Cognizant, now what it has been a month or something like that, can you tell me how those memories have soaked in, the realization and of course now reaping the rewards out here?

JOE HIGHSMITH: Sure, yeah, I was thinking about it last night. Coming here is certainly probably the first time that it's really sunk in like I guess what I accomplished or whatever, just because this event is just so historic and so much bigger than every other golf tournament. I haven't really played in any -- I played in one major as an amateur and it was a U.S. Open, but it was limited fans and certainly nothing to this level. This is the tournament that every golfer wants to play in since they pick up the game. To be here and kind of just see the atmosphere and I've been here as a spectator a few different times, but to be inside the ropes this time is pretty special.

Q. Feels like almost you're a little bit emotional about it. Talk to me about the emotions out there actually playing.

JOE HIGHSMITH: Yeah, well today's the first day that I've played it with fans, so it's a lot different feel than coming out with a member or playing a practice round last week. It's quite a different atmosphere obviously with how many people come out to these, especially on a practice round day, it's unbelievable. Very emotional. I dreamed of playing in this tournament probably since I was four or five years old. We watch every Masters Sunday as a family and go back and watch like the '86 coverage or all the historic ones. I remember my dad crying in the bedroom while we were watching the '86 Masters, 35 years later, but it's pretty incredible to be here and teeing it up this week.

Q. Are they out here too?

JOE HIGHSMITH: They are here. We just had lunch in the grill room, so that was really cool.

Q. To share this with your family after everything you told us, I mean, what can you say, right?

JOE HIGHSMITH: It's unbelievable. That's the coolest part for me is to have them come to the tournament, and obviously really cool for them to have their son playing in it, but more than anything just getting to experience the Masters is pretty once in a lifetime.

Q. Does your dad have that look in his eye? Is he in awe?

JOE HIGHSMITH: I think so, definitely. Today's their first day on property, so it's been pretty cool to just see them, they look like kids now in Disneyland, it's pretty incredible. Going to be you super fun week. We got a lot of friends and family coming.

Q. Why do you think your dad cried when Nicklaus won?

JOE HIGHSMITH: That's a good question. Man, I feel like -- I've had my moments certainly watching historic sporting moments and it makes you emotional. I don't really know why. Maybe just the admiration of just witnessing greatness I think is something that can bring people to tears sometimes. But obviously that one with Jack being 46 years old, already the best player of all time, and then to come back and win one. I think he obviously grew up watching Jack and was a huge fan of his, so I'm sure that was some of it, but just the emotions around this place are pretty all-time high.

Q. Jack will be around here this week, your dad might get a photo or something?

JOE HIGHSMITH: For sure.

Q. (Question about merchandise.)

JOE HIGHSMITH: I probably spent nearly a thousand dollars just getting clothes, mugs, cups, and like everything that I could imagine with it being my first -- well, I guess I came for the first time with the team and I spent a lot of money then, but I have a little larger budget now, so I'll probably dive in a little bit. Every time I came as a normal guest they have all the member-only merch, which is really, really cool. This week I'm sure I'll be getting some more stuff.

Q. If they had a safari hat in stock would you get one?

JOE HIGHSMITH: Of course. I'm going to be lobbying for that because they didn't have any in stock.