AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2023

Steph Curry

Edgewood Tahoe

Press Conference

Q. Rumor has it there was a hole-in-one out there today?

STEPH CURRY: Man, that was wild. Joe just kind of mentioned what -- that looks crazy on the scorecard. I just saw the 1 -- what was leading up to it. And probably one of the best swings, good contact. It was right on the stick. Even if you're painting the flag and it looks good, you never really expect it to go in.

And when it hit right next to the flag, from our vantage point, the crowd around the tee box, they kind of went crazy. It was before it went in. And that kind of drowned out the reaction from the green. All I just saw was a bunch of hands go up. And then you just kind of black out. Celebrate. Crazy shot. Especially in a tournament like this, that atmosphere.

I'm still coming down from the adrenaline rush. That was nuts.

Q. That was one of the things we were going to ask. It's like after that you hit a little bit of a lull and we were thinking, did the ace do that, where you were still so pumped up, man, I gotta get back to where --

STEPH CURRY: For sure. Because we don't get to play in as many tournaments throughout the year, like this is the one where all your attention and focus and energy is put towards. So you're already trying to control your adrenaline and nervousness and excitement anyway.

You add that to it. I think I did 100 -- whatever, 50-yard sprint, and about 75 yards back before I got to my playing partners, got to celebrate them. Alex still had to hit afterwards. He had a great shot, too. We thought there might be one on top of the other.

I'm actually glad I held it together for the most part. In the middle of the round, I had a couple of bad shots, I had a bad break on the par-3, but to come back finish even last five holes, six holes, for me that's the most -- I guess I'm impressed with for the day after the hole-in-one because it could have gone all over the place with where my excitement level was.

Q. We saw your hat came off, you hit your head a couple times with your hands in disbelief then on your back and Roger Maltbie was trying to interview you?

STEPH CURRY: I was dead tired. We were in the middle of summer training and all that so I'm still getting work in getting ready for the basketball season but not to sprint like that. I had to catch my breath.

Q. I think you had seven a little tired too.

STEPH CURRY: He had to make a decision how far was he going to run down the hole, it was great.

Q. Fifth hole-one-in tournament history, and the first one on No. 7.

Q. Have you ever hit a hole-in-one before in any play?

STEPH CURRY: That was my second in my life. I had one at Half Moon Bay, the Ocean course, the third hole. Same club, though. The pitching wedge is nice for me.

That's number two. Tied with my dad, too. That's nice. He had two. I got to see one of his. So now we're tied.

Q. How do you prepare for tomorrow?

STEPH CURRY: Hang out, watch some golf on TV. Jump in the lake. Pops is cooking. We're having a good night. That's it. Stay away from the game just because you're already exhausted being focused for those five hours you're out there. Get away from it, get ready for tomorrow.

Q. You had 27 the first round. 23 today, I believe. Another 23 or 27, it will put you in the mid-70s. So that's a lot of points better than Tony's when you score 62, last year's winning score of 62. Good luck.

STEPH CURRY: Appreciate it.

Q. I was following you on the front nine. On 6, your second shot, you almost jammed that also. I thought it was going in the cup probably two or three feet right before. Was that the precursor to 7?

STEPH CURRY: I hit a really good one there. It literally was six inches behind the flag and popped a foot below it. You get into a rhythm, you hit the shots that you're seeing, they start painting the flag. You don't expect it to go in. You can play golf forever and it's kind of a luck of the bounce if it's going to go the right way or not.

Two of those shots in a row, to have one of them go in, it was special, for sure. Probably golf highlight. Hopefully have another highlight tomorrow at the end of the round. But definitely the best golf moment I've had playing this game.

Q. I know you've had this for many years up here, but having so many fans rooting for you, do you feel like that's an added advantage going into tomorrow?

STEPH CURRY: Yes and no. I don't have any type of home course advantage or any know-how, no more than Mardy or Joe. They've both been in a final group on Sunday. Mardy's won one, Joe in the playoff last year. I haven't been in that experience before. But all I'm going to do is have fun and play.

In your head you have to imagine that you're just playing a round at your home course. It's just a little bit more people watching. That's kind of the mindset, mind tricks you play on yourself because you don't want to get too ahead of yourself. You don't want to be scoreboard watching. Thankfully we'll all be in the same group so you can kind of keep tabs. It's a long day, so you have to pace yourself.

Q. You said you were in a lull after the ace, and then how did you bring yourself back? What were you thinking?

STEPH CURRY: That's where I can tap into basketball for sure, just the mental toughness to acknowledge you had a bad stretch, bad shot. That doesn't mean you can't course correct in that moment.

So birdie on 14, which historically has been a tough hole for me for whatever reason, to birdie that one, right the ship a little bit. Missed a four-footer on 17, which is the only other bogey than that. I was extremely proud of the ability to kind of bounce back knowing things didn't go my way for that five-hole stretch after the hole-in-one. My last hole-in-one, my first one, I tripled afterwards. Like literally the next hole. I'm getting better. Getting better.

Q. Speaking of basketball, you played in game seven just this last postseason. How much can you draw on that experience bring it to the golf course in terms of having a good night's sleep not overthinking everything what's ahead tomorrow?

STEPH CURRY: I think just being in those situations where the stakes are high. You want something really bad and you have to kind of sleep on the thoughts that you're having about what might happen the next day. Like, there's a little bit of similarity, but for the most part, when I wake up in the morning, come to the course, again you have to kind of treat it like a normal round. I'm sure I'll have some kind of anxiousness and jitters just because you're kind of out of your comfort zone a little bit.

But that's the beauty of this tournament for us amateurs and athletes from other sports trying to exceed in this sport. I think that's why people watch and love to see us out here grinding.

I'm excited about it. Because anytime you come in here you just want a chance to win. Your expectations change when you start to play well, but just to have an opportunity to be in the final group with a small lead, that's what I came here to do.

Q. You watch golf. You watch the replays. How would you rate your post-hole-in-one celebration compared to others?

STEPH CURRY: I've only seen it -- I only saw it on 17, a blurry kind of video of it, but I just know the sprint was phenomenal. Great form. I had a couple moments to celebrate, the hat came off, the glove went off. Tried to get the crowd into it.

I don't know what my speed was, but it was up there. It was good. (Laughter.)

Q. In your career because you're still riding the adrenaline rush but how does that rank in adrenaline rushes?

STEPH CURRY: Number one for sure. Number one. Even my first hole-in-one, it was kind of a casual round. I was with some buddies. Still get super excited. I save the ball. I did actually the same thing, now that I think of it. I ran down to the hole right away. But just in that environment, on that hole, it's a good atmosphere around there.

I'm in the final group on Saturday trying to hold the lead and play well, and that happens. So number one for sure.

Q. How is that overall with your basketball career and everything, how does that rank?

STEPH CURRY: It's totally different. That's my job. This is fun.

Q. Tomorrow you go into the final round, three-point lead over Joe Pavelski, who has been almost there last year, got in the playoff. Mardy, who has won it before, a good friend of yours, how does that feel playing with guys like that, friends of yours and any additional pressure?

STEPH CURRY: No additional pressure. It helps to know my history. I'm great friends with both of them. I've played in groups with them before.

Joe played in the Bay, was in San Jose, we used to cross paths at a course down there. I'm very familiar with both of them.

I think that will help just kind of calm the nerves just to know you've got two great guys, that we're going to have a great time. We're all competitive. We're all trying to win. But I think the flow of the group will be great.

And again, you can't think about the 18th hole tomorrow.

That shot-at-a-time mentality, whatever it is, that has to be the approach to it because it's unfamiliar territory. So I'm excited for the experience.

Q. On the first tee yesterday you were introduced with all your NBA plaudits and championships, and they ended up saying, "But he hasn't won the big one, American Century Championship."

STEPH CURRY: That was absolutely accurate, too.

Q. So winning this thing would mean what to you?

STEPH CURRY: It would mean everything. I love the game. I've been coming here for -- I think this is number 10 or 11, maybe -- and talked about from a basketball perspective. I think Vinny was the first one that got it done a couple years ago. Being an active athlete trying to excel out here in your offseason. All that stuff put into it. Super competitive, super passionate about the game. Look forward to this game every year.

It would mean a lot and just knowing that you have the ability to do it and see what happens.

Q. I want to know about your symbol on your hat and how can I and I help promote that?

STEPH CURRY: This is the Curry Brand. I've been with Under Armour since 2013. We launched Curry Brand back in 2020.

It's a brand that's about changing the game for good and finding ways to unlock potential in a lot of different areas. That's what we're about. It's exciting to know got to branch into the golf space. We've got apparel, footwear, hats, all that type of stuff.

Obviously in basketball and lifestyle, it's been cool to form something that people can be a part of.

Q. How can we buy it?

STEPH CURRY: Currybrand.com.