You know what I like about Turner Sports? The fact that it sends me quotage less than a half hour from the signoff from an event. Very nice. The PGA Championship is no exception. And here are the quotes from today’s coverage.
Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the PGA Championship from Hazeltine National Golf Club – Round One – Thursday, August 13, 2009
TNT’s Round Two coverage of the PGA Championship continues Fri., August 14 from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET.
Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Ian Baker-Finch, Bill Kratzert and Jim Huber joined by Jim Nantz, Bill Macatee, Peter Kostis, Verne Lundquist, David Feherty, Peter Oosterhuis and Gary McCord
Baker-Finch on Hunter Mahan being in contention: “(I’m) certainly not surprised at all to see Hunter Mahan up here (on the leaderboard). He’s been playing extrememly well the last couple of years and he’s one of the stars of the Ryder Cup last year.”
Baker-Finch on Padraig Harrington challenging Tiger Woods at last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: “It was a great match-up and I think Tiger relishes that battle when someone takes it to him.”
Baker-Finch on how Hazeltine National Golf Club is playing after a week of rain: “After all the rain earlier in the week, I was expecting the course to play longer than it has today. I didn’t think that the big hitters would have too much of an advantage because they couldn’t reach three of the par fives. But as the course has dried out, we’re seeing a lot more roll on the fairways so it will play more into the long hitters’ hands. I don’t think the short hitters have much of a chance.”
Kostis on Tiger Woods benefiting from playing in tournaments in the two weeks prior to the PGA Championship: “The rest of the field knows that (Tiger Woods) is here and he’s going to be here at the end. I think he’s benefiting from having played three weeks in a row. I think that earlier in the year, he wasn’t able physically to play that many tournaments in a row. Now he’s played three in a row and he’s coming in here sharp and competitive.”
Kostis on Phil Mickelson’s competitive edge after missing a number of tournaments: “I think anytime you take a long layoff from the game like (Phil Mickelson had), your short game is going to be the last thing to fall into place. It’s very difficult to take a long layoff and come back competitively sharp right away. That’s why I think it was important this week for him to have played last week.”
Kostis on the controversy at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last weekend where Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington were put on the clock to speed up the pace of play: “I think they should have been put on the clock on the 13th hole if they were that far out of position. Everything is subjective in the case of pace of play. I think the officials were doing what they felt they had to do. Ultimately, both guys were put on the clock and Tiger followed that up with a brilliant eight-iron and Harrington messed it up. If (rules official) John Paramor is going to get grief for hurting Harrington, then he should get credit for helping Tiger. He did what he had to do.”
Kostis on 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera: “(Angel Cabrera) put on a driving clinic at (WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) last Sunday that was remarkable. He drilled it down the heart of every fairway. If he gets hot with that driver, he’s going to be a factor.”
TNT’s Jim Huber interviewed Tiger Woods who finished -5 in Round One
Woods on his first round: “I had some good sessions this week with Hank (Haney) and I felt very comfortable with what I was doing today. I hit the ball well all day and had some good putts even though I didn’t make a lot of putts. This really could’ve been a low number today.”
Woods on his poor play at the 2009 Open Championship: “I had six bad holes in a row and if you take away those holes and look at the overall body of work, I played pretty good. Unfortunately, those six holes cost me an opportunity to play on the weekend. You have those stretches but you have to turn those stretches around and I didn’t do that and it kept getting worse. Consequently, I had two more days to get ready for the Buick (Open).”
Kostis on Alvaro Quiros’ aggressive play being similar to a younger Tiger Woods: “(Alvaro Quiros is) much like Tiger (Woods) when Tiger first came out. (Tiger was) very wild and aggressive and didn’t have a lot of the finesse shots. Tiger worked on that very quickly and developed them very well. If Alvaro (Quiros) can get a little more touch, a little more competence inside of 140-150 yards, he’s going to be a factor.”
TNT’s Bill Kratzert interviewed Padraig Harrington who finished -4 after Round One
Harrington on being paired with Tiger Woods: “I don’t think it’s ever that comfortable. The great thing when you play with Tiger is you know you have to play the shots. It puts you under more pressure and you feel like you should go after it instead of hanging back and it helps you focus. There’s no point in playing safe. You have to be in your very best form and it motivates you.”
Harrington on his improving game: “I have been making a few changes and they’re all not automatic at the moment. I’ve got what I need to do in my head clear and now I’m back thinking on how to perform on the golf course. That’s what is showing up in my scores. I feel that I can still get better over the next period of time but my mind is in the right place.”
Feherty on Retief Goosen: “(Goosen’s) been showing signs of life recently. He’s returning to form. He just moseys. Nothing ever changes whether he’s insane with rage or ecstatically happy.”
Baker-Finch on John Senden’s improvement to his putt: “Good boy, nice steady head. (Senden) didn’t make the putt, but that’s what he’s working on, trying to keep his head steady and take the anxiety out of his stroke.”
Oosterhuis on the difficultly of the greens in the afternoon: “Ok, now I’m rooting for them (to make putts). Group hug, nobody can make a putt, these greens might be getting a little bouncy. So let’s all pull and help these guys with positive thoughts.”
McCord on Mickelson teeing off well after two-putting a hole: “(Mickelson) did not hold back at all. Anger management, that’s all that is.”
Oosterhuis: “Relief of anger. There have been a lot of bunkers to deal with on a line to the green.”
Feherty on John Daly trying to make a comeback in golf: “You have to wonder, with all that John has been through, this latest comeback, reinventing himself and losing a lot of weight and giving up a lot of things that weren’t so good for him. So many people would love to see him do well. He’s won two majors and if he could get himself back in shape and mentally strong again, who’s to say he couldn’t win another one?”
Feherty on Phil Mickelson’s reaction after a wide putt on the 13th hole: “You will not often hear Phil Mickelson yell at a ball that’s only going to finish 2 ½ or 3 feet away, that tells you how difficult it is to hold out out there. He doesn’t want that putt.”
Baker-Finch on John Senden’s improved putting: “Good boy, nice steady head. (Senden) didn’t make the putt, but that’s what he’s working on, trying to keep his head steady and take the anxiety out of his stroke.”
Oosterhuis on the difficultly to make putts on the greens in the afternoon: “Ok, now I’m rooting for them (to make putts). Group hug, nobody can make a putt, these greens might be getting a little bouncy. So let’s all pull and help these guys with positive thoughts.”
McCord following a good Mickelson tee shot after a poor putting effort the previous hole: “(Mickelson) did not hold back at all. Anger management, that’s all that is.”
Oosterhuis: “Relief of anger. There have been a lot of bunkers to deal with on a line to the green.”
Feherty on John Daly’s latest attempted golf comeback: “You have to wonder, with all that John has been through, this latest comeback; reinventing himself and losing a lot of weight and giving up a lot of things that weren’t so good for him. So many people would love to see him do well. He’s won two majors and if he could get himself back in shape and mentally strong again, who’s to say he couldn’t win another one?”
Feherty on Phil Mickelson’s reaction after a wide putt on the 13th hole: “You will not often hear Phil Mickelson yell at a ball that’s only going to finish 2 ½ or 3 feet away, that tells you how difficult it is to hold out out there. He doesn’t want that putt.”
Johnson on Adam Scott’s high score as he plays the 18th hole: “(That’s) Adam Scott. Do not adjust your sets, that is plus 11.”
Baker-Finch: “He’s been hitting the ball so well too, tremendously long drive there. He’s just been struggling with the putting and I would say that’s continued (today).”
TNT’s Jim Huber interviewed Vijay Singh, who finished round one at -3.
Singh on his round: “It was a little bumpy out there, but if you get yourself in good position, you’re able to give a good stroke at it. I haven’t been putting well all year and I’ve been struggling with my game, but I’ve worked really hard all these months before and it’s finally coming together.”
Singh on Tiger Woods (-5) and Padraig Harrington (-4) posting low scores in the morning and how it affected his play: “You have to play your own game and be in your own head. The scores were low in the morning and it was out there. If you play well and you keep the ball in the fairways you’re able to score. The greens are holding, if you hit a good shot they are going to take. So I played well, you’ve go to still play well and I played well and made a few putts.”
Baker-Finch on David Toms, who finished the day at -3: “It looks like (David Toms) is in good form. (He’s) confident, the way you want to be coming into a major. You’re not going to find your game at a major, you’ve got to bring it with you.”
I look forward to providing the quotage throughout the tournament.
