THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Jackson Suber to the interview room here at the Valspar Championship. You're going to be making your PGA TOUR debut. Just want to get some opening comments about the excitement entering this week.
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah, really excited. To have my hometown PGA TOUR debut, I mean, really special and I couldn't have drawn it up any better.
THE MODERATOR: As a Florida, Tampa local, what is kind of the expected following you're expected to have this week with family and friends following along. Have people been reaching out saying they're coming out this week?
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah, I have no clue. It could be anywhere from 20 to 30 people to 200. So it will surprise me.
THE MODERATOR: How did you originally find out about the sponsor exemption?
JACKSON SUBER: I've been talking to the tournament director for a couple years now and just keeping in touch with her and updating her with where I'm at and having a relationship with the tournament and she called me about a month ago and definitely made my night and couple weeks after that we've been pretty excited and really excited to be here now.
THE MODERATOR: How special does it make that that's kind of a hometown and PGA TOUR debut, doing both?
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah, that's really, there's no words to describe it. It's been an incredible opportunity and for it to be in my hometown with friends and family and kind of bring a little sense of comfort there with a lot of new things being thrown at me this week, kind of helps me out a little bit.
THE MODERATOR: Just talk about your game entering this week. You've already found some success this college season with three wins in the past 11 starts. What's the game feeling like entering?
JACKSON SUBER: It's good. I've been playing all right lately. Game's in good shape, just kind of underperforming a little and hopefully it's starting to trend the right way and this would be a good week to kind of start to peak.
THE MODERATOR: How would you explain your style of game to those who maybe aren't familiar with you?
JACKSON SUBER: Not very straight. I'm not very like extremely good or bad at anything, just kind of consistent. But definitely a little scrappy here and there and kind of scramble.
THE MODERATOR: Can you speak to the success that Ole Miss, the program, has prepared you to make your start here?
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah. I mean, that's meant everything to me, to go there and play for Coach Chris Malloy and my other three assistant coaches. They have helped me so much to develop and just to be at a school, too, that really values athletics and the community around you supports you, it's helped a lot, just everything.
The coaches kind of helping me with my mental game and course management and learning how to be an adult and handle yourself. It's hard to realize that some of those things have paid off this week already that I might have not realized that were big at the time but now being out here it definitely shows.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. What is your history with this tournament? Did you come out to this event as a kid?
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah. I've probably been here five or six different years. Me and my brother used to come here. I always practiced really hard after it, get really motivated and go home hit balls until dark and kind of feel that extra sense of motivation.
The last time I was here was when Tiger played. But just watching younger players around then, I think I remember watching Jack Maguire. He Monday qualified in. He's a local kid from Clearwater. And just to see him out there being three, four years older than you kind of just gives you a real, not sense of urgency, but just really wanting to get out there and for that to be you.
Q. How much have you played this course?
JACKSON SUBER: I played an AJGA here when I was younger and then I've probably played here four, five other times.
Q. Did you do well?
JACKSON SUBER: Not really, no. Saving it for this week. (Laughing).
Q. Who else would you, who else did you follow and anything from seeing Tiger that year?
JACKSON SUBER: I mean, it's really cool, just seeing everything. I liked seeing the younger guys out there when I was in high school. I wasn't always trying to go watch the big names. I wanted to watch the people that I didn't really know, and it was just who you could relate to a little more at the time and just see college kids out there. I think Lee McCoy and Chase Koepka, a couple younger people played out here.
So just to see that growing up and see the amateurs really means a lot and gives you that extra sense of motivation.
Q. What are your pro aspirations?
JACKSON SUBER: I'm still trying to figure it out. I have an extra year for COVID, but I might stay this year. I might turn pro after NCAA's. So still trying to figure that all out. Just trying to focus on golf right now.
THE MODERATOR: Is this the same week as spring break for Ole Miss right now?
JACKSON SUBER: Yes. It's almost, I think, a mile or two from the beach, so I didn't get the normal college spring break but it's not a bad week to hang here.
Q. This has been a long-time dream. What's it like for you just to be on the practice tee and seeing all the big names around here? What's that been like?
JACKSON SUBER: It's really cool. I had always hoped that it would come. Everyone always says that they know it was going to happen or something for themselves, but just to actually be out there and kind of see 'em. I haven't made it yet, that's for sure. I still have a lot to prove to myself, but just to be out here with 'em, it's really cool.
Q. What do you feel inside of you? What are the things that make you think you could potentially do this for a living?
JACKSON SUBER: Just sticking to a plan and a process. Kind of not freaking out and not setting extrinsic goals or stuff based on outcomes, kind of just worried about getting better every single day and put that plan with the team around you and what that's going to, trusting that will take you to where you can be.
Q. I think you're 11th in the PGA TOUR University rankings. How closely do you follow that and what are the opportunities there for you going forward?
JACKSON SUBER: Yeah, I mean, I definitely look at it. Every Wednesday it comes out around noon, so, right now.
But definitely cool to see, but in the end if you play well and that stuff will take care of itself and what Jay Monahan hadn't and the TOUR have done to kind of give kids an opportunity like that to get out there quicker, I mean it's very special. I think it's good for the game to have college kids out there sooner than later and what Valspar's done this week, giving two amateurs a spot with Alex getting a spot from the tournament, I mean it's a very cool thing to see the tournament have an interest in the amateur and college game.
Q. What will be the biggest weighing factor for you if you decide whether or not to turn pro or another year at Ole Miss?
JACKSON SUBER: I don't know. There's a couple things that are kind of mixed into that. But just trying to talk about that with the people around me.
THE MODERATOR: Who is on the bag this week and do you have a specific game plan?
JACKSON SUBER: I have Ryan Goble on the bag. He's a veteran out here. He caddies for Will Zalatoris now, so it will be good to have someone with some experience on the bag. He's got me all dialed in. He got me laughing too.
THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports