U.S. Senior Open Championship

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA

SentryWorld

Brett Quigley

Flash Interview


THE MODERATOR: Brett Quigley, 5-under 66, sixth place overall. What was working for you today?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Two birdies early, and I think 5 through 6, so certainly a nice start. Just played nice, made some nice putts.

I'd love to have that wedge shot back on 15. I hit a bad shot on 15 and then was kind of reeling from there. Overall a great weekend and very pleased.

THE MODERATOR: It looks like your putting kind of carried you throughout the championship. What was it about your putting and these greens that kind of led to a good match?

BRETT QUIGLEY: My only thought all week was hit it softer than you think because the greens were so perfect. The golf course is just amazing, I mean, truly amazing conditions. The greens were perfect, and they're so fast. I like that when we get a good challenge.

Q. After chasing a low number all week, what was it like to get off to that start today or as low as you were through 6 or 7? What's going through your head?

BRETT QUIGLEY: I thought outside chance if Bernard had any hiccup, maybe I shot 6- or 7-under, I'd have a chance.

Certainly he's not even flinching at 10-under here. I saw that earlier.

Yeah, I got off to the dream start being 5-under after 6 and just couldn't get any more. Certainly pleased. Like I said, the weekend was a good weekend.

Q. Can you talk about the bunker shot at 6? I mean, that was something.

BRETT QUIGLEY: I was on the range this morning. Someone said on 6, maybe 20 percent of the field has hit the green there. I hit a couple good drives. I never hit the fairway, so I never hit the green. I was thinking, hey, it's a good little bunker shot, little uphill, and I have a chance to make it.

It came out a little hard and hit the pin dead center and just went in, and I said, oh, boy, here we go.

Q. As you look at what he's doing up there, absent your desire to try to chase him down, what are your thoughts about a guy who's 65, going on 66, running away from the field here today?

BRETT QUIGLEY: To say it's inspirational would be an understatement. To follow his career my whole life and to see what he's done is just absolutely amazing.

65 and not even flinching. 10-under on this golf course this week is great playing no matter how old you are. And he's 65.

Q. It appears right now you have a top-10 finish, which gets you into next year. You're going home next year and you get to play the Kelly Stricker role at Newport Country Club next year.

BRETT QUIGLEY: I didn't know what top 10 did. I'm glad it did. I would have been choking a little bit more. Being home at Newport, that's special. Rhode Island is really special. Loves golf. Newport Country Club, first Open, first Amateur there. Really cool stuff. I know they're excited for that championship, and certainly I am too.

Q. When you walk on that course, do you feel history?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Absolutely. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. The clubhouse, the property, I know a lot of the history behind it, and the golf course is a beautiful walk and it's a fun place.

Q. Follow up on your complimentary comments about the course from earlier, what kind of specifically do you really like about it, and would you like to see another event like this one or something else like it come back?

BRETT QUIGLEY: I think it showed fantastic. I think there was some concern early on it was going to be too difficult. I think the staff did a great job with setup. Certainly the rough is as tough as any U.S. Open that I'd seen or played in.

I think they just did a nice mix of moving a couple of the holes up there so we could actually have a chance to maybe reach a green in two. Overall, fantastic. Just a great golf course, great conditions. It was a treat to play. The whole property is just fantastic.

Q. Absent the infrastructure things like hotels and airports, could this course host a U.S. Open?

BRETT QUIGLEY: Absolutely. There's a lot more length behind where we were, and if they keep the rough like this, it's as hard as you ever want to be.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
134496-2-1041 2023-07-02 20:05:00 GMT

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