U.S. ADAPTIVE OPEN

July 9, 2025

Kiefer Jones

Woodmont Country Club (South Course)

Quick Quotes

Q. Is this your first time playing the Adaptive?

KIEFER JONES: No, this is my fourth.

Q. Okay. So you've played in all of them.

KIEFER JONES: Every single one, yeah.

Q. Well, first, I want to ask how does it feel to be the winner of your category?

KIEFER JONES: Pretty good. I wasn't quite sure there for a minute. You know, I didn't quite play up to my standard this week. It's a tough course and just got put yourself in the right spots.

So I did put myself in some bad spots this week and I kind of paid for it, but seemed like every day I finished strong. So, yeah, I'm happy to just finish strong again, and, yeah, pull out a win I guess in my category.

Q. Talk about the week overall, especially with your perspective having played in all the championships. Talk about the week overall and kind of your overall experience.

KIEFER JONES: Yeah, I mean, this is definitely the nicest course. Pinehurst was great. It was a challenge. This one is just that much more tough for me.

You know, Kansas wasn't -- I didn't find it that hard, but I still didn't play great one of the days. The other two days I was able to shoot close to par.

This course I think takes some real focus and planning to be able to shoot par. Like I said, it'll make you pay for a shot that's a little bit off line. And, you know, the bunkers out here are very punishing.

Yeah, I think it's a great course to do it at. I don't know how some of the numbers are be posted that have been posted, but as far as the visually impaired category goes, it will definitely mess with your head a little bit.

Q. Speaking to again it being your fourth championship, can you talk a little bit about your preparation coming into this one, how that might have compared to previous years?

KIEFER JONES: Yeah, I think my game coming into this year I was much more confident. Like I said, once I got out here and got a look at the course and just how firm some of the greens are and how you have to plan to land the ball in a certain spot to be able to even just hold the green or plan just not spin it back or go too long.

So I think a lot of the planning was done in the practice rounds to just aim at certain spots in the fairways to make the second shot easier. That makes it a little easier to hit the green in regulation and keep it on.

If you're doing that, I mean, you're going to play pretty well. The rough was thick and the bunkers are tough, so just took a little bit more planning than some of the other courses.

Q. Yeah. Switching gears a little bit, this is the first year that Golf Channel has broadcast the championship live. Talk about what that means.

KIEFER JONES: I think that's great. It's going to -- I mean, there is definitely some people out there that haven't seen this yet. They probably know someone that golfs and is disabled in some way.

You know, I think it's just going to promote it that much more and you'll see more and more people every year. It keeps growing. You're going to see people, new people every year, right, qualifying or at least attempting to qualify to get into this.

It's such a great event. I don't know why you wouldn't want to.

Q. Talk a little bit about the rest of your summer schedule and maybe some other championships you're competing in.

KIEFER JONES: I have two more on the schedule right now. One is the Canadian All Abilities which is kind of this tournament for Canada.

And the other one is my provincial one in Canada, in Alberta. They don't have divisions in those. It's low gross and low net, so a little bit tougher to pull out a win for sure.

But smaller field as well, so you might get lucky.

Q. And last question: I got to ask about the outfit. All orange, obviously Rickie inspired. Talk about that.

KIEFER JONES: Yeah, so I've been a Cobra fan -- well, I've been playing Cobra for a lot of years. I got sponsored by Cobra maybe five years ago, Cobra and Puma. I grew up obviously a lefty, a Phil fan, but as soon as Rickie came on the scene I became a huge Rickie fan.

Yeah, figured I would throw a little Rickie Fowler out there today and see if it would bring me luck.

Q. Did it?

KIEFER JONES: It did on the back for sure. Just struggled a little on the front. Yeah, I felt good wearing it anyway.

Q. Any shots that felt Rickie-esque?

KIEFER JONES: Maybe some of my putting on the back nine. I think of him a couple years ago when he pulled out that win there with his jailbird putter and how good he was putting that tournament.

Kind of just like channel the inner Rickie and make some putts here.

Q. Some inspiration.

KIEFER JONES: Absolutely.