Interview with Kevin Kisner, 2017 Champion

THE MODERATOR: Kevin, as you look back to last year for your win, what kind of stands out to you as like a highlight or what you take away from that win?

KEVIN KISNER: Well, it's one of my favorite golf courses on tour, so I love coming back here. Love being able to complete at Colonial. Really remember the final hole there in 2017 with Jordan and Jon Rahm both chasing me down, and being able to make that up and down was the highlight of the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Right after that win you mentioned how important that was to get to the FedExCup playoff and into the TOUR Championship. Right now you're 38th. Coming off three straight top 10s here, you got to be looking at as a good opportunity to make a jump in the standings.

KEVIN KISNER: This is a favorite part of the schedule to lead into the FedExCup playoff. I look forward to playing here to boost my rankings, and hopefully have a chance to win.

I love the golf course. I love the way it suits my game. I look forward to getting a lot of FedExCup points this week.

THE MODERATOR: This is your second title defense on the PGA TOUR. Is that a feeling you've become more comfortable with or was it fine for you right off the bat the first time?

KEVIN KISNER: Obviously we all enjoy winning. Maybe one percent of the time it's about my ranking right now, two wins and two other starts or so.

But it's always fun to win. It's always fun to be at the top and just to feel the camaraderie amongst our peers that congratulate us.

It shows that all the hard work pays off, so that's what we're here to do. Look forward to another chance this week.

THE MODERATOR: Get started with some questions.

Q. Kevin, now that you've won twice on tour, what's more difficult to do: win the first time or to win again on tour?
KEVIN KISNER: Well, with my career I think it's difficult to win any time. You know, I think I've had eight or nine second-place finishes. It's always incredible to me how good everyone is coming down the stretch anymore on the PGA TOUR.

You can never feel comfortable, even if you have a two- or three-shot lead. Guys are going to continue to make birdies. You have to keep your foot on the gas coming down the stretch.

Judging from growing up watching the PGA TOUR to now, I think that is the biggest difference.

Q. I know it's a trend kind of tour-wide, but here it's 65 years since a repeat winner. Why do you think it is so hard to repeat?
KEVIN KISNER: I didn't actually know that until I came here for the media day. I think Hogan is the only guy that's done it. He obviously was pretty good around this place; I have a pretty decent track record around here, too.

I think it just suits a lot of guys' games that come to play here. I think a lot of the same guys are up there near the lead every year, and it's all about who can get the job done coming down the stretch.

Q. You talk about this course suiting your game. What specifically about it suits your game so well?
KEVIN KISNER: Well, it's tight, first of all, so off the tee it's very advantageous to be in the fairway.

Not overly long, which is the new trend on tour. It's more of a position golf course. Get it in the fairway and then you don't have very much club into a lot of the greens.

There are about three or four holes that you really just need to make par and move on, and then you can attack the rest.

Obviously you can tell by the scores on the wall it all depends on the wind. I think I was 12-under last year, or 10-under, and there has been as much as 22 or 24 win the tournament.

The forecast doesn't show for much wind, so you're probably going to have to make a lot of birdies this week.

Q. You talked about your love for this golf course. Were you a Hogan guy growing up? Did you emulate him? What's the history?
KEVIN KISNER: I'm not a golf historian at all, but it's a lot like a golf course I grew up on, Palmetto Golf Club. Position. Need to be in the fairway to attack the greens with runoffs.

Off the tee it's huge at Palmetto to position yourself for that second shot, and I think that's what crucial around here.

Q. How many golf courses do you feel they play a year that really did fit your style of play?
KEVIN KISNER: Three maybe. Hilton Head, here; next week is decent, but it's more of the 7600 variety that we see every -- week in and week out.

And that's fine. You know, the game obviously -- I think my coach told me I was down one yard and down 70 spots in driving distance in a year, you can see the trend. Three years, I guess.

But you just got to make hay where you can and continue -- if I make putts I can compete anywhere.

Q. Have you ever tried or been tempted to make swing changes just solely for the sake of distance?
KEVIN KISNER: Well, I'm 34. I think my bell curve is on the other way, so I just try to hit it in the fairway.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Kevin, thanks as always for the time.

KEVIN KISNER: Thanks, guys.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #179 at 2018-05-22 15:20:00 GMT