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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 31, 2016

Jimmy Walker

Springfield, New Jersey

Q. Jimmy, after grinding for so long, can you put it into words what it means to win your first major?
JIMMY WALKER: It's surreal. I mean, it really is. I would have said it would have happened the last couple years, the way I was playing. I just had not quite played as well as I would have liked to this year but I knew it was close. Felt some things were clicking last week.

God, just to be in it and be there and have a chance and then to finish it off is just -- it's so gratifying. I mean, it really is. Everything I've done up to this point, helped this happen.

Q. Could you imagine just a couple of weeks ago this happening?
JIMMY WALKER: No. No, I couldn't, honestly.

Q. When you were on 17, did you hear the roars, because you backed off twice.
JIMMY WALKER: I heard Jason. I thought what -- I'm pretty sure it wasn't Grillo that hit the shot that everybody was so pumped about. I figured it was Jason. I heard him hit the driver and I heard everybody was pumped, because he pumped one, I guess. And then I heard the second roar. So I knew I needed to make that putt, and I did, and then made the 5 on the last. Made it a little tougher but it was awesome.

Q. Were you as relaxed as you looked with the No. 1 player in the world chasing you and the British Open winner chasing you?
JIMMY WALKER: It really didn't cross my mind. Jason and I, it's so funny, we're the bus -- we're the bus guys out here. We park next to each other every week and we see each other and we're good friends, and Colin and Andy and I and Jason, we're all good buds. I really like Jason. He's a quality guy and it's been fun to watch what he's been doing with golf over the last year and a half. Wouldn't expect anything less.

Q. You looked pretty confident over that bunker shot on 10.
JIMMY WALKER: I did. I had a nice lie. It was uphill. It was uphill and it looked good. You're thinking about getting it close, because you want a tap-in, and it went in. That's just the way it goes.

Q. And the putt on 11?
JIMMY WALKER: The putt on 11 was big. I didn't hit a very good iron shot after a good tee shot. I seemed to make a big key putt, long putt, every day this week.

Q. Are you going to open that wine with Butch?
JIMMY WALKER: He knows where my bus is.

Q. It's been a year of breakthroughs in the major championships. How sweet does it feel to have taken advantage of your opportunity here this week?
JIMMY WALKER: It feels sweet. It's amazing. I haven't been playing all that well and I felt like some things clicked last week and brought it in this week and been thinking a little better on the golf course. It's just surreal, it really is. I'm having a hard time putting words to it right now.

It's an incredible finish, what Jason did, eagling the last hole, forcing me to make a five. It was huge. It was tough.

Q. There's been a definite calmness about you all week, what do you put it down to?
JIMMY WALKER: Just been working on it. Been getting a little fiery, and just working on it. Recognizing I need to get better, and kept working hard and working on the golf swing. It's just nice to see it pay off.

I wouldn't have called this, but it's huge. It's nice to get in the position and keep the hammer down and keep making birdies and keep playing well.

Q. Describe the tension, the nerves playing 18, knowing what Jason had just done.
JIMMY WALKER: Well, you know, I said when I birdied 17, I figured that would probably end it. You think they are going to make three, and you're going to have to make a five. But you know, I'm standing out there and I had a good front number and I'm like, let's just send it up there. 19 out of 20 times, you're going to make a five going for this green in two. Made it a little more difficult than I would have liked, but awesome to make the last putt.

Q. Interesting there at the 18th, what was that all about?
JIMMY WALKER: Said just send it up there as far as we can. I'm a great bunker player and good pitcher of the ball. The ball just came out a little more right than I wanted to and made it a little more exciting. You figure 19 out of 20 times, I'll make a five going for the green there.

Getting into position, I feel like I can do it. I can do it now. I can win a major championship. It's unreal, it really is. Haven't been playing as well as I would have liked to this year, but felt like some things started clicking last week. It sure showed this week.

Q. Tell us the emotions, what's it like to win your first major championship at the age of 37.
JIMMY WALKER: There was no -- there was nothing easy about the day, really about the week, for that matter, especially coming down the last hole.

I figured birdieing 17 was huge, and that was going to cap it off. And then Jason making eagle sure makes my job a lot harder on the last hole. So you know, kudos to him. You wouldn't expect anything less, best player in the world.

Really cool way to finish. Making a putt like that, to win, right in the middle, was just awesome.

Q. Nine pars to start this round. Take us through 10, what a great bunker shot to make birdie.
JIMMY WALKER: Thank you. 10 never really fit my eye all week. We always kind of laid back a little bit. We were playing for par. Just overcooked it in the bunker. I had a great lie, uphill, plenty of green to work with. The sand was awesome. It went in. It went just left and had some side-spin on it and just went in, and capped it off with a long putt on the next hole. It was huge. It was just a bam, bam and felt like everything kind of got going.

I didn't hit quite as good of shots as I would have like to coming in. I hit a good shot into -- I hit a couple of good shots. Had a couple of good looks, but it just didn't -- they just didn't go. It was tough, man. It was nerve-wracking out there.

Q. Wire-to-wire, you're a pretty good leader when you get the lead.
JIMMY WALKER: That's cool. I didn't think about that but that is cool. I'll remember that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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