THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Thomas Björn hereafter the first round of the 2025 Senior PGA Championship. How was your round out there?
THOMAS BJORN: Good. I played solid. Started on the back nine and played really solid, and then that weather came in and made one mistake there on the second hole and made a double. But other than that, it was pretty solid, and I was glad I got it back really. I could have undone a lot of good work there after making that double. But I stuck my head down and got it back and finished 2-under, and that leaves you to fight another day, really. That's what it's all about.
It was tough, I thought. That weather, it got cool, it got wet, it got a bit windy, as well. It was tough. Early on it was pretty easy. It was pretty straightforward weather with the weather and stuff, but when that weather came in, it became a little bit of a different story.
Q. Steve Stricker was also saying he could barely hold the umbrella for a few holes, but at the end of the day he gave all the credit -- he thought the setup was --
THOMAS BJORN: Oh, yeah. We came here on Monday, and the golf course with the windows there, the firmness of the greens and the way it was, it was impossible. It was impossible to shoot good numbers. The PGA of America have listened. I said to Kerry Haigh early in the week, I said, just remember who you're dealing with. When I was 28 years old I would have been very excited about what I saw on Monday, but I've done that. I've played that kind of golf in my life. Now I need to play probably a little bit different kind of golf. So you're dealing with guys that -- we're not used to seeing that kind of golf courses anymore. Then it becomes very difficult to play.
So they listened, and yeah, it's probably a little bit too soft for their liking, but it's round 1 and we're off to a start. Nobody is shooting 7-, 8-, 9-under. 4-under is still leading. The golf course, you can get at it, but it's a tough golf course, and it's a big boys' golf course. We just don't play those type of golf courses very often anymore.
So I think there's a lot of credit to them for what they've done with it. Yeah, they would like to see it getting a bit firmer, but hopefully the weather gets better and then they can do that.
Q. You're not the first one to say good things about the setup and Kerry and the work he does. What is it about the PGA that they know how to do these things?
THOMAS BJORN: I think the PGA of America many years ago learned their lesson. They had a couple of PGA Championships where it got a bit away from them and it got a bit too tough, and they always found themselves at their championships, they wanted to be a good test of golf, but they also wanted to be, when you play well you can get at it.
We have those kind of different setups in, if you can allow them to be called the real majors. They have their own identity, and certainly the USGA have that kind of -- their idea of the golf course, which I think is right for one tournament. It's right on the borderline of what's right and wrong, and it tests the mentality of the player. The PGA of America has gone a little bit on the softer side of that, but there was a period there where they got into that kind of mindset, as well, and I think they got a bit on the softer side. If they do that at the PGA Championship, that filters through all their championships, that you go just on the soft side of what is borderline. I think that's their identity, and it carries through to this.
I think the setup today was fantastic, and they've had a lot of water to deal with over the last 48 hours, and they've done well with the golf course.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports