KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 23, 2023

Cameron Doan

Press Conference

PGA Frisco

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, and welcome to the 83rd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship here at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco.

We're joined by Cameron Doan. Cameron, you're very familiar with this place and this course. What are you expecting from Fields Ranch East this week.

CAMERON DOAN: I think the venue is great for a major. It will be a great dress rehearsal for '27, for sure.

I think the design on the golf course they did a good job of the holes where you have some loft in your hand. The green complexes require you to be pretty precise. Then the holes where you have less loft in your hand, you may have to chase it in there, and they gave you room to do that.

I think Gil did a really good job, really good.

THE MODERATOR: How special is it for you to be playing in a major championship here in your hometown this week?

CAMERON DOAN: It's pretty cool. I'm lucky to be able to represent the section, and then we'll probably get into that. But the story about how this whole thing evolved and then to be able to be the guy to hit the shot representing everybody else, I'm honored.

THE MODERATOR: Let's open it up for questions.

Q. What was your reaction when you found out you are going to hit the first shot?

CAMERON DOAN: So we knew what we were playing for about a year ago. When I played well enough in New Mexico to finish third and get this, that was pretty emotional, to be honest, knowing that, again, we've got more than 800 members in this section. So it's not about me. I'm representing them. That's an honor. That's an honor.

Q. Cameron, you chased playing in a major a long time. What's the sense of being here and how big this week will be?

CAMERON DOAN: There's definitely some relief there. You get to be my age at 55, you wonder. So that would be the first emotion, I think.

Then the second one is the new challenge of it. That's one of the cool things about golf being the game that it is that we can play all our life. You always have something to chase. I chased this a long time. It's nice to catch it.

Q. How much of the Michael Block story have you heard? The Block story last week, how much did you watch that? Did it inspire you?

CAMERON DOAN: Definitely inspires. I didn't catch up in until Saturday. We had a busy event at the club going, but that shows what can happen on a given week. It's pretty remarkable the way he handled it, to be honest.

Q. What kind of player feedback have you heard, if any, so far and what they've seen out here?

CAMERON DOAN: So played a practice round yesterday with Rod Pampling and Paul Stankowski. I've known both those guys a long time, and they both love the place.

We were talking as we went about the comment that I already made that the holes where you have loft in your hand, the green complexes fit. The holes where you are going to have a longer shot, again, the green complexes fit.

The driving lines are easy to see, which I think is a big deal for players. I don't think they like blind shots. Everything fits in there naturally.

The conditions are spectacular, so everything I've heard so far has been positive.

Q. You mentioned dress rehearsal in your opening comments. Is there any way to know how the setup is going to look for these guys versus what it will look like in four years for the regular PGA?

CAMERON DOAN: I'm sure Kerry and Mark and their crews are paying attention and taking notes. We don't hit it quite as high or quite as far or spin it quite as much as they goes will, but I'm sure they're paying attention what angles work, the crowd flow stuff, the logistics of moving people around. It's got to help them.

Q. Is there a stretch of holes that jumps out to you as far as, like, maybe being a signature or the ones that go is this particularly tough or particularly enjoyable?

CAMERON DOAN: I think the last five starting with 14, which is a par-5 where the tee shot is a little bit blind and then the green complex is very small with that little creek around it.

You go par-5. You go par-4 where I bet they slide it in, but it can be drivable. 16 is, like, 480. Then 17 is a short 9-iron or a wedge with a tough pin, and then 18 being a par-5 that you can get home to finish.

So I got to believe Gil was thinking about all of that when he designed it. It's going to be a great wind-up to whether it's a PGA Championship or the Senior PGA or maybe a Ryder Cup someday. It should be a great stage.

Q. A couple of fun questions for you. What are some of the names on the Alfred S. Bourne trophy?

CAMERON DOAN: So thinking about it, a couple of guys. Steven Alker, who won last year, an example of a guy that chased it a long time. He never really had a bunch of success, and he didn't let up. Back to what I said earlier about the game being one for a lifetime, it rewarded a guy's longevity.

Then when I was coming in this morning some of the parking spots that are held there, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk. It's the great history of the game. Really cool.

Q. What did you think your biggest challenge will be this week getting ready for competition?

CAMERON DOAN: I think the biggest challenge is relax and get comfortable and go play, get past all of the buzz. That first tee Thursday morning there's going to be a lot of buzz. The adrenaline will be going. My heart will probably be at my throat a little bit. Get past that and just go play. That's the hope.

Q. How do you think you get past that?

CAMERON DOAN: Can't dodge it (laughing). Again, I'm going to be thinking about the people I'm representing. That's what it is to me. It's not about me. I'm just the guy in the seat.

Q. Couldn't you have found a better caddie (laughing)? And do you think that that's going to kind of help you? Like you said, you're focusing on the moment and what it represents. I mean, having Mark as your caddie also represents that?

CAMERON DOAN: Having Mark (Harrison) in there with me. That's the first phone call. I bet everybody here knows the story that this doesn't happen without Mark. This started ten years ago. He basically worked two jobs to get this deal done.

When I was in the hunt in New Mexico last October, he flew out, showed up Sunday morning on the last round and come strolling up on the 8th fairway when it's blowing 30 and it's cold. He has got supplies and stuff ready to go, and he escorted me all the way.

The first call I made after it was over headed back East, I called him and said, all right, you're in for the first hole. So he spent six months training so he could get up that hill.

Q. Cameron, Nick Ishee played last year at Southern Hills. How much have you guys talked over the last couple of months as you prepare to make your major championship debut?

CAMERON DOAN: I picked his brain, for sure, about getting comfortable. He picked mine before he went to play. Although I hadn't done it, I have coached a lot of guys that have played in that arena.

What we circled back to is get comfortable quick. As difficult as that might be, get comfortable quick. It's cool to be able to talk to him about that for sure. For sure.