PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 12, 2026

Jesse Droemer

Aronimink Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Jesse Droemer is with us now at the 108th PGA Championship. Jesse, welcome to Aronimink and your third PGA Championship. How has the week been for you so far?

JESSE DROEMER: It's been great. The staff here has been phenomenal. They just take great care of us. Everybody with the PGA has been so welcoming, so the support has just been overwhelming. Great week so far.

THE MODERATOR: That's great. And of course a big win for you a couple weeks ago up at Bandon Dunes. What did you do well that week that you might try to replicate this week?

JESSE DROEMER: I think the mindset we had in the week, we knew it was going to be a challenge. We knew it was going to be difficult. Looking at the weather, we knew it was going to be tough. So I think having the correct mindset and embracing the difficulty that we had.

But I drove the ball really well. I was really proud I didn't hit it in one bunker for all four days, so I thought that was pretty cool. But drove the ball really well, just stayed out of all the trouble, and I think the mindset really helped.

THE MODERATOR: Perfect. Thanks. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. I'm sure this place looks nothing like Bandon Dunes, but is this type of golf course more what you're used to? If so, does that, are you comfortable in this setting?

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, I mean being the third PGA Championship, every one I've felt more comfortable. The golf course is a great fit. Obviously I just don't see these types of conditions too much, the rough. But I think it's a great golf course. It seems more like a second shot golf course. It is fairly generous off the tee.

But obviously you have to start with getting the ball in the fairway, and you just really have to miss it in the right spots. But I do think it's a really good fit for my game, and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. This is your third PGA Championship appearance as a representative of the Corebridge Financial Team of 20. How does it feel being a champion this time around?

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, it's a little bit different, definitely a lot of congratulations this week, people coming up to me, more obligations throughout the week. But I'm embracing it. It's awesome. I'm loving it. Just happy to be here and looking forward to test my game.

Q. I know you're a big fan of course architecture. Talk to me a little bit about where that passion comes from and specifically what you love about the design layout here at Aronimink.

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, well I think the second golf course I worked at was Los Angeles Country Club, and that's really kind of when I fill in love with it. Gil Hanse was restoring the North Course when I was there. And then obviously working at Fishers Island being on a Seth Raynor golf course and being up in the Met section, playing some C.B. Macdonald courses, and just seeing golf courses I'd never seen before, they're just so much more strategic, just very sophisticated golf courses, and I just kind of fell in love with the challenge of it.

So I think just getting on Raynor and C.B. Macdonald courses just made me fall in love with golf course architecture.

Q. If you had to compare your three PGA Championships, how would you compare them in terms of the challenge of the different golf courses?

JESSE DROEMER: Well, my first one was 2023 at Oak Hill. I thought that was one of the toughest tests of golf I've ever experienced in my life. I think 2023 that was the toughest golf course for the year. Quail Hollow was a little bit different, a little wider, the rough didn't seem as severe. But it just seems like each one I get a little bit more comfortable in. There's a lot going on, so many people and all the fans. But each one just get a little more comfortable.

Q. You were mentioning the mental side of things that helped you in Bandon. So I guess I wonder how that evolved in the last three years, and what is your mental mindset here?

JESSE DROEMER: Well, the biggest thing here is everybody's going to hit really bad golf shots, and with a lot of people there, I'm just starting to not be so worried if I hit a bad shot in front of people. I'm just more comfortable and accepting that you're going to hit bad golf shots.

But the condition is totally different than Bandon. It's just this many people, I just have to block all of that out and just play golf. At the end of the day, I'm whacking a ball with a stick trying to get it in the hole, it's pretty simple.

Q. I would love to know, as a teaching professional, maybe some of the reactions from your weekly students when you told 'em, hey, I'll be at the PGA Championship, and then also how often you think about your regular students while you're out here?

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, I mean, obviously a lot of the people I was teaching, they were watching the tournament, they were aware. So they knew what was going on. I think I had over 600 text messages within about 30 minutes of winning. So fortunately, I did respond to every single one of 'em.

But they're just completely excited. The young kids seeing me, you know, it makes me emotional just because I was a kid in the grandstands on the other side of the rope for years, and just being on this side is just, it's very -- it's crazy, to be honest.

That's my biggest passion is helping kids and kind of -- golf has given me so much, and I just feel obligated to give back to the game. So I just -- and in the past I've put a little bit too much pressure on myself to perform for all these people, so I'm going to just go out and have fun and play golf and see what happens.

Q. Over the years you've experienced some different injuries off the course, and can you give some detail as to what happened and what it was like for you to get back to the point that you're playing now?

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, I would say the biggest injuries that affected my golf, I broke my left wrist pretty bad when I was probably 10. I broke three bones in my ankle in football. That was pretty rough. But yeah, it's been 13 broken bones, it's been a battle. But at the end of the day, it just makes me feel grateful to be healthy and to not have to deal with pain anymore.

Q. There's an element of resilience in what you do, and it's interesting also the two PGA Corebridge members that came here, you both survived like injuries and accidents. I heard you survived even like a snakebite at some point too, no? Can you tell us about that?

JESSE DROEMER: Yeah, I was in my backyard, I was like 12 or so and stepped on a water moccasin. My mom didn't believe me. I told her I just stepped on a snake, and she just kind of shrugged it off. Then I actually fainted, and my toe was about this big (indicating). So she had to rush me to the hospital. And then I used to go down into the Brazos River with a machete and boots and look for golf balls. So I had to fight off snakes for that.

But, yeah, that was pretty serious. But after that, I don't really have a fear of it anymore, so...

Q. I guess that's a piece of advice for your students, don't go find balls anywhere, no? Be careful?

JESSE DROEMER: Well, I couldn't afford Pro V-1s back then so I would sell the kind of beat-up ones and I would keep the best ones. So in tournaments I wasn't going to lose a golf ball that I fought off snakes for (laughing).

Q. We've been talking to the top players and everybody about what makes the PGA Championship unique, and I know you haven't played the other majors, but what do you think is unique about the PGA Championship?

JESSE DROEMER: Well obviously the fact that 20 contestants are working-class people and just the fact that we get this opportunity. I always just want to give a huge shout out to the PGA of America for giving this opportunity. But I would just say that, the fact that 20 people who work for a living get the opportunity to put their spikes on and tee it up against the best players in the world.

Q. I know you're here as a competitor, but you're also a teacher. Do you find yourself, you know, even when you're on the range and kind of just watching different, a couple of these pros and intrigued by their swings, a little different, this guy's move is a little different. Do you find yourself getting caught up in that, you know, fascinated by that too?

JESSE DORMER: Fortunately, no. I mean, I grew up playing junior golf and college with a lot of these guys. Honestly, who I geek out the most over these instructors like Pete Cowan and some of those guys. So every time I'm here I try to introduce myself. I was just talking with Randy Smith, he spent some time with me. But honestly I'm more excited to talk to some of these coaches, which I know is kind of weird.

Q. You mentioned earlier some of the different obligations from having won the PPC. What are you most looking forward to maybe outside the ropes this week?

JESSE DROEMER: Well obviously the Champions Dinner tonight. I think being in a room with major champions and kind of hearing those stories and just being in that atmosphere is just a life-changing night. So I would say the Champion's Dinner, for sure.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Jesse, thanks for your time. Have a good week.

JESSE DROEMER: Thanks.