PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 15, 2026

Stephan Jaeger

Aronimink Golf Club

Flash Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Stephan Jaeger is with us now at the 108th PGA Championship. Stephan, 70 today. How would you summarize your second round?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, bogey-free. Unfortunately, also birdie free. So I think I just said that I think in a major you'll take 18 pars and go to sleep happy tonight. I had some chances on the back, but also made some really nice par saves early on. A few on the back, too. So overall I'm very happy. Yeah, the way I'm hitting it, I really like that, for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. At this level, this type of golf, have you ever played 18 pars?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Somebody just asked me that. I actually don't know if I've ever made 18 pars. I just mentioned I think if you do it at John Deere I think you're not going to be too happy because the cut's 5-, 6-, 7-under. But at a major it's, you know, it's an even par 70. But I actually he don't know if I've made 18 pars in a round before. I feel like I have, but I don't know that answer.

Q. Does it say more for you that you played without a bogey, that's pretty impressive, not to focus on no birdies?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, I think the way I hit it today it could have easily been 3-, 4-under. If I made some putts like I did yesterday. I felt like I actually hit it better today than I did yesterday, which I think that's a positive I'm going to take out of it. The golf course is not going to get easier on the weekend it's going to get firmer, it's going to be a little hotter. So being able to hit it out of the fairway and give yourself those looks, that's what I kind of kept telling myself, you know, just give yourself that 15 to 30 foot range where you can make a few. If you're in the right spot you actually can hit a wedge close on the front nine for sure.

Q. The guys this morning said that it was kind of carnage out there. How different did the course play do you think in the afternoon, did you watch any of the morning?

STEPHAN JAEGER: I didn't watch any. I walked outside the house, it was pretty chilly this morning. I know the wind was up like we played probably our front nine or probably front 13 or 14 holes or the first 13 to 14 holes. It kind of laid down a little bit for us coming in. But at that point the golf course is already pretty firm, and especially on the pin position like 8, like you're going to get 30 feet minimum. So I definitely think we might have gotten the better wave of the two. I don't know what the scores look like, but just as a feel, it feels a little better. Once again, I've been on the other side of that draw plenty of times, so I'm not going to be mad about it.

Q. Do you remember the last time you made 18 pars in a row?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Yeah, I just said I don't know. I don't know if I've ever made it. I don't know, that's probably something we can look up or somebody can look up. I'm happy to do it at a major for sure.

Q. How would you describe your season to date?

STEPHAN JAEGER: I think there's some, a few good ones. I think as a professional athlete any time you always want a little more. I've been kind of working my way towards this form a little bit. I've been putting well this year. I've just kind of been trying to find my iron game a little bit. It's been struggling a little bit this year. My driving is what it is. Some golf courses setup great for me, some don't. I'm never going to be somebody that's going to hit 65 percent of the fairways. I'm okay with that. Some golf courses like this week sets up great for me, and some weeks like Arnold Palmer does not set up great for me because I'm going to make a lot of probably 6s just with the water hazards. But I'm happy to be here, I like this place, I like Philly, I played well at Cricket Club last year, so maybe it's the goods vibes of Philly and the cheesesteaks.

Q. It's been a little raw, a little cold the last few days, I don't know, I don't think anyone's been comfortable. It's going to be warmer, but how does that change the golf? What do you think it will do for the golf course if it is warm?

STEPHAN JAEGER: You know, I think with the warmth, I don't know how much protection they have to do for the golf course. If they need to water the greens at all. I doubt it. I think they have the place right where they want it. They have plenty of people around to know it's going to be hotter this weekend and we can kind of push that limit with the golf course what it can take. I felt like some of the fairways were harder to hit today, especially with the bounce. For instance, 3, you have to carry a bunker on 3, but then that next bunker, set of bunkers is in play. So it definitely makes the fairways smaller. Some of the slopes that they have away from the doglegs is hard. So that will be interesting to see what that, what happens on the weekend, for sure.

Q. It looks like you just copied the numbers from the scorecard.

STEPHAN JAEGER: (Laughing). Yeah.

Q. Yesterday, I'm not sure if you caught wind of this, but Martin Kaymer said he doesn't really count you as a German anymore, you've been living in the U.S. too long. How do you feel about that?

STEPHAN JAEGER: Well, I can show him my passport. I only have one, that's the German one. He's not wrong, right, I mean, I've been here in the States for longer than I was in Germany. I've been here 20 years, I left Germany when I was 17. I still consider myself, I have some German ticks to me, but I also have a lot of Tennessean in me. So, you know, to the positives I'll take. And the Germans, we do try to be a little too perfect sometimes, which can get me in some trouble every once in awhile, for sure.