JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 4, 2025

Doug Ghim

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Doug, another great round. What was working today for you?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice. It's been couple years since I think I holed out from the fairway. To get two back to back days is a great.

Today played tougher, so to hole-out was huge. Drove it fairly well all day. Wish I had a couple wedges back and a couple putts back, but at the end of the day pleased to be near the top, if not in the top, going into the weekend.

Q. You said yesterday you would be surprised if you were leading, and you were coming into today. Do you feel like you have a different mentality now? What's the mentality coming into the weekend now that you have the lead potentially?

DOUG GHIM: I don't think anything changes. It's just the halfway point. There are so many good players. I believe we're teeing off earlier tomorrow so the scoring conditions might be a little bit better than today; although I think it's still going to blow tomorrow.

The leaderboard is so bunched. There is always a guy regardless of the conditions. When we played at Oakmont, I think JJ shot 4-under the first day and it looked impossible to me out there.

So always kind of giving the field the credit of anybody being able to shoot 61, 60, maybe even 59 out there. I think just staying patient. I'm still chasing because 20-something-under is probably going to win.

Just kind of keep my head down and try to birdie some par-5s and roll in a couple more 15-footers.

Q. You talked about those hole-outs. I think yesterday you were saying you kind of didn't let it get too high down to you. Again, it was early in your round and it seemed like it kick started your round again. What was the feeling after that hole-out, and did you feel like it jump started you a little bit?

DOUG GHIM: For sure. Today was a different kind of day. You were kind of waiting for opportunities instead of knowing that you were going to get a huge amount of them, like back to back to back.

It was like you were lucky to get a ten-, eight-footer times. I wasn't quite in the right positions on all the par-5s so it was a lot harder. Instead of four- or five-footers for birdie, they were 10, 12, 15 feet.

To hole-out on a hole like that, especially where it's not the easiest of the holes out here, if anything, one of the tougher ones. It just felt like a huge, huge boost so it helped me stay more patient because something so good happened to me there.

To make birdie would've been a huge momentum boost, but to make two was so unexpected and it helped me stay patient for the rest of the day.

Q. Following you yesterday, seemed like you and your caddie were out there having a good time, joking, laughing, and smiling. What's the relationship like, and how does that help you out there?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, we just really started working together. I think our first start together was in Canada. He's a good friend of mine. Used to caddie for Chan Kim. He's one of my best friends out here and have spent a lot time with him in the last couple years just playing practice rounds with Chan.

We have a lot fun and that's very important to me. Tech is a very good player himself, so it's important to keep it light out here. We're out here for four and a half to five hours at a time. It gets pretty intense out there, especially on the weekends and when you're in contention.

It gets pretty intimidating sometimes, so to have a friend and someone that you can laugh with is always important. We had a blast.

Q. What prompted that caddie change?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, I mean, I think I was at point in the season where I just needed something different. You know, was playing fine but just couldn't quite get any positive momentum.

You know, being able to have fun I think was -- I just needed to switch it up just a little bit. It was probably the right time of the year to do it. I was getting an off week -- I didn't get into the PGA so having that off week trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, just wanted to switch things up and have a friend.

It's been working.

Q. This is probably a better question going into Sunday, but are you a leaderboard watcher?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, I'm not afraid to look at leaderboards. At the same time, I'm really only focused on myself. I think looking at the leaderboard is just information to me of knowing, okay, there are guys -- there are scores to be had.

Being in the lead this early in the tournament doesn't really mean that much. Obviously having a lead is awesome at any point in the tournament, but with 36 holes left to play and that many people at 11-under par, I mean, doesn't feel like much of a lead.

If anything, I feel like I'm chasing to try to get to 20-, 22-under par, even deeper if possible.

You know, as far as I know I'm nine, ten shots back of that right now.

Q. Do you have family coming from Chicago for the weekend or are they already here?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, they couldn't make it today but I'm anticipating family coming tomorrow and I'm excited about that.

Q. You mentioned patience. Have you have to teach yourself that patience over the years, and how did that patience pay off on a day like today?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, it's something you're constantly learning. I would say it comes and goes. I think when things are going well you feel like you're the most patient person in the world, and for some reason when things aren't going well it's even harder to be patient.

It's an ongoing lesson. Obviously for me, hoping be to contend in major championships someday, and that takes a different type of mentality and patience. There are things that could go wrong and it's a lot tougher, too. Being at Oakmont this year got to see it firsthand.

At the end of the day it's the same thing. It's just different things to be patient about. Obviously a course like this you're trying to be patient of not forcing things because you know you need to make birdies. Major championships it's all about trying to hang on and making pars and birdies when you can.

I think every time I get in a position -- I've been in position at THE PLAYERS, been in position at multiple tournaments. I almost won in Vegas last year. Every time I get in there and play and compete and try to win a tournament, you definitely learn a lot. You usually turn back and go, man, I really didn't need to press there and I wish I didn't.

You don't really need to press until you really, really do, and it's usually really obvious when that moment is. So just learning to kind of stay in there and hang in there and forcing the issue is never really the answer from what I've learned. It's always just hanging in there.

Winning is hard for everybody. Somebody could be three shots ahead and by the time you're on the 18th green you might be two ahead.

It's that volatile of a sport. That's why we love playing it.

Q. What was it like sleeping on the lead, and do you expect it to be more difficult or easy tonight knowing you'll be close to it?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, I mean, I wasn't even that aware that I was in the lead until, I mean, I think later at night. But, again, it's so early in the tournament. I'm sure if I was in the lead going into tomorrow every night gets a little bit more to think about.

At the same time, the person that's going to win this tournament will be in the 20-under par area, so last time I checked I'm not there yet. I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention.

Q. Was it dramatically different playing morning yesterday as opposed to afternoon today?

DOUG GHIM: Yeah, for sure. Yesterday looking a little bit at the leaderboard through the day just checking once in a while, I expected more 6-, 7-, 8-unders, but it was pretty apparent it was playing tougher in the afternoon and today it felt like it was blowing even more.

So, yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say I was surprised by it, but at the same time, when we got on the range today and saw how the wind was blowing, I figured that it was going to play more difficult.

Q. Is the heat tough? Feels pretty rough out there.

DOUG GHIM: I mean, honestly, the wind made the scoring a little bit harder but the heat probably better because the wind was blowing a little bit. Yesterday was pretty humid and warm for sure.