U.S. ADAPTIVE OPEN

July 10, 2023

Kurtis Barkley

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 6)

Quick Quotes

Q. 77 today, can you just walk us through your round a little bit?

KURTIS BARKLEY: Yeah, the ball striking was there, it was just a rough start to my standards. I wasn't flushing the irons to start off, so I was trying to get a few up-and-downs.

I did hit 13 greens. I didn't make anything on the greens today, but I was hitting a lot of good lines. The ball wasn't just going in.

I holed out on No. 3. Like I'll take that and walk to the next tee for sure. Not putting is always a bonus on any holes.

It was awesome to play with some players with vision impairments, and the way they play is unbelievable. It's awesome to watch.

It is what it is. I've still got two days, so I'm going to go to the putting green and roll some putts and figure something out for tomorrow.

Q. Could you walk us through that hole-out. Explain how it happened.

KURTIS BARKLEY: So basically that hole I flushed driver straight up like nine yards, I believe. We picked a good club, Morrell and I, and I hit a beautiful wedge. Really couldn't see it, so it was like halfway going straight at the pin.

I turned, gave him the club, and there was one guy up there going, it's in, it's in. I'm pretty sure my caddie was more excited than I was.

It's always awesome to go up there and fix a ball mark and pick it out of the hole for sure.

Q. How would you say the rain overnight kind of impacted some of the conditions?

KURTIS BARKLEY: Yeah, I flushed a lot of nice tee shots today. I think I had four of my balls on our back side, the front, and it bloomed a little bit. Missed a few greens because of it. The rules are the rules. I couldn't clean them. I just took it as it is and went to the next hole.

Q. I know you mentioned you're going to go to the putting green. Anything else specifically you're working on ahead of tomorrow?

KURTIS BARKLEY: No, once I got off to a little bit of a rough start there, tee to green I was pretty solid. I hit eight greens on the back nine. I think I was only five on the front.

Yeah, basically learning a little more of the grain. I hit a lot of great putts today right on our mark. I think there was only two putts I missed that I maybe should have made, but I hit my mark and then you can't complain after that. Whatever happens happens.

Q. Playing in this last year coming back now for the second year, emotions as you were heading to the first tee and how it's felt thus far through day one.

KURTIS BARKLEY: Yeah, I'm just excited and happy to be here. Getting to play at a Pinehurst course, it's unbelievable when you tell the boys back home, yeah, we're going to be gone for a week, we're going to go play at Pinehurst. I know a lot of people would love to be here, but we live so far away. I'm just happy I can bring at least one of my buddies to come and experience this.