• Aaron Rai, Champion Press Conference
• Jon Rahm
• Alex Smalley
• Justin Thomas
• Matti Schmid
• Cam Smith
• Ben Kern, Low PGA of America Golf Professional
Aaron Rai, Champion Press Conference
Jon Rahm
Alex Smalley
Justin Thomas
Matti Schmid
Q. Can you talk about the level of satisfaction, and how happy are you with what happened this week here?
MATTI SCHMID: Obviously. It’s one of the best tournaments I’ve ever played. I thought after the birdie on 13, I was leading or like right there, but next time I looked on the leaderboard, I was like three or four behind. So I don’t know.
Then it’s — yeah, after the bogey on 15, which is a tough hole today, then yeah, just tried to finish as high as I could.
Yeah, I made two good long par putts on 17 and 18. Yeah, I’m obviously satisfied with that.
Q. I understand you know Aaron Rai quite well. You played together at the Zurich like a couple, two, three years ago. What can you tell us about him?
MATTI SCHMID: Alex or Aaron? Yeah, I played with Alex too.
Aaron is a super hard-working guy. Maybe the most hard-working guy on tour. Yeah, he does everything so deliberate. Yeah, practices with so much intention. Yeah, I think he does a lot of things the right way, and that’s why he’s the winner today.
Q. Can you talk about what comes next for you now? The U.S. Open, The Open, and what’s your mindset going into that?
MATTI SCHMID: Am I qualified for the rest of the majors? I don’t even know.
Q. Looks to me like probably.
MATTI SCHMID: I don’t even know my schedule yet for the next few weeks. I was planning to play the next two. I think I’m still going to do that, but see what tournaments I get in.
I obviously have quite a bit of clout and the game was trending anyways. This week was definitely another step in the right direction.
Q. I would say you’re qualified for the PGA Championship 2027. That’s for sure.
MATTI SCHMID: Perfect.
Q. Did you have a score in mind you felt you had to shoot to win? And did you think anybody could get to 9-under?
MATTI SCHMID: I probably didn’t think 9-under. You’re always not sure these back nine how difficult they’re going to play because, obviously, start of the week, if you shoot them even-par, you’re doing pretty well. Obviously on the weekend with 13 being moved up, it’s a little easier. It’s hard to put a score in your mind on this track because it can play either/or.
Cam Smith
Ben Kern, Low PGA of America Golf Professional
MODERATOR: Ben, what does this honor mean to you?
BEN KERN: It’s very special. Obviously, once I got into the business, it was a goal to get out here and play in this kind of event. It’s a once-in-a-year opportunity that I’ve had the chance to play in three. It’s very special to be in this field and then to walk away with low club pro, it’s everything.
Q. Ben, you were paired with Luke Donald today in the final round of the PGA Championship. What was that experience like and what did that mean to you?
BEN KERN: What a great person. I met him in 2023 at Oakdale when I got in, had the honor of playing a few holes with him in the practice round, and when I saw that pairing come through last night, I’m like, this is going to be a nice walk on Sunday at a major. And it was.
Q. You’ve had a lot of support from Hickory Hills and back home in general, and just seeing you interact with some folks outside just now. What has that support meant to you throughout the weekend?
BEN KERN: Just it makes it that much more special. Obviously I’m doing it for myself. It’s very special, and I’m happy that I get to do it, but to have my members and the support from Hickory Hills has just been — it’s been awesome. It’s been so nice to have my whole club in my corner rooting me on. It was awesome.
Q. What’s it going to be like to return back to your regular duties? If you could fill folks in on what your day to day and what that’s going to be like coming back after this week?
BEN KERN: It’s going to be — it’s going to be busy. I have not looked at my emails. So I will get back to my emails in a few days. Unfortunately, I’m probably going to be at my desk for a lot of it, getting caught up, getting the back end back to where it needs to be, getting all the information out to the members and what we have coming up, because our season is going.
I’ve got a great head pro, Chris Muse, working his butt off back at Hickory Hills keeping the golf operation going. The superintendent is killing it. The course is looking great. So I just need to get back there and give them the support they need to keep the club running like it should.
Q. Bob SAURZ was on PGA of America Radio this morning. You guys have a pretty fun relationship. You’ve got something pretty historic now with two, but he’s got a lot of PGA records. What is the relationship with him like?
BEN KERN: Man, Bob is one of my best friends. We started teaming up. I guess the first time I met him was 2019 PGA Cup I qualified for in Austin. I didn’t team up with him in that, but I got to know him, and then down the road we started playing the national PGA stuff in Florida and have had some good success doing that.
He is a character. He is a quiet person, but he is fun to be around, as much as you don’t see that. He’s a very special person. I’m very lucky to have him.
Q. You added one more to your birdie total this week today. Can you walk through your birdies today?
BEN KERN: Yes. I am not good at recalling my rounds. So I know I had — first birdie was, I believe, chip-in on 5. Hit it just over the green, hit a good shot, had a decent lie, laid open 60 degree and just bumped it out there, rolled out perfect, went in.
6, conservative lay-up off the tee, kind of left myself 150 yards, hit it long and left at pin, and I rolled in a nice 25-footer down the hill left to right.
The other birdie was 9. I hit a good drive in the fairway. I pushed 3-wood up close to green. Chip shot to about six, seven feet and rolled that one in.
And then final birdie was 16. Hit it in the right rough, but had a really decent lie, had 255 to the pin. I told my caddie, Randy, I’m like, five seems to be coming out of this grass pretty well. I think it’s going to come out low in hot. So I aimed a little left, came out low and hot. Probably carried 200 yards, ran right up the neck of the front of the green and rolled to the back and 20 feet for eagle and two-putted for birdie.
Q. I know different from a PGA Championship. How did you handle the difference and what was it like playing?
BEN KERN: I’m not sure it’s different. It’s a different world. It’s extremely overwhelming. There’s so much stimulus from the crowd. It’s good. It’s great to hear your name that much. But it’s not something that I’m around very often. So it’s fun. It really is fun.
Saturday was I kind of had a mindset that I wanted to shoot a score, and I got a rough start and I kept my head down and got through it. And then today I really just wanted to enjoy it, soak in this experience, playing on a Sunday at a major, and I did exactly that. I had a blast today.
Q. Who gets to have the coveted first match back home with the low PGA of America golf professional?
BEN KERN: I have no idea. But I’m sure I’ll have some matches lined up.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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