Top Quotes of 2017, Part 1

“Just so we’re clear, when he’s 75 years old I’m going to still think he can win on the Tour.” – the PGA Tour commissioner on Tiger Woods

“More likely than not, I won’t be going to the Games in 2020. Just because of my personal feelings towards – not the Olympic Games, the Olympic Games are great and I think golf included in the Olympics is fantastic. But for me, it’s just something I don’t want to get into, and that’s a personal choice and hopefully people respect that decision.” - on his continuing resentment of having been made to choose which entity to represent - the Republic of Ireland or Great Britain, of which his native Northern Ireland is part

“The whole three months I was back home in Korea, and everywhere I went, everyone wanted to see it. So, I’ve been carrying my gold medal wherever I go.” – on her life since winning Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro

“I look at Tiger, and I can’t help but think he looks like an old man. He looks like the oldest ... 41-year-old man in the history of the game. – after watching Woods at Dubai in January

“I never won a major. Tiger won 14. But would I trade my career for Tiger’s? No.”

“I don’t need to compete against my grandfather’s career. Nobody can. I don’t care how many golf tournaments you win, nobody’s going to compete in the terms of doing what he did for the game. And for me to try to promote my own brand or name would be foolish because I have such a great opportunity to promote and to continue what he has already done. That’s what I’m going to do and not make it about myself.” – after taking the lead in the Genesis Open, 50 years after his grandfather, Arnold Palmer, won the tournament for the third time

“The USGA essentially doesn’t like me doing it. I’m pretty much done with it. They’re not a good organization, and you can quote me on that. I’m part of their family and as family it’s very frustrating to see them stunt the growth of the game.” – on his switch back to a conventional putting stance from his sidesaddle stance

“… every time I go to Muirfield now I won’t have a great taste in my mouth.” - on Muirfield taking so long to allow women members

“Honestly, it’s more about wanting to go play places where I’m happy and that I enjoy going to, places I want to be, instead of going there and wanting to be someplace else. I went through the schedule and picked out events where I’m not very happy at, and Evian was one of them.” - on why she planned to skip the Evian Championship

“I adjusted his driver for him, because he’s trying to hit it longer than Gary [Player] Thursday morning.” - on helping Jack Nicklaus get ready for the ceremonial tee shot at the Masters

“I love all journalists. Obviously I made a bad joke, just like I played bad golf this week.” - apologizing after telling a reporter golf is hard and writing articles is easy

“I have seen the video, and I can see where they’re coming from with it. It might have been, I guess, me rotating the ball, but like I’ve said, I always played by the Rules of Golf. Growing up with older brothers, they were always on me for playing the Rules of Golf. There’s no need for me to improve anything. Those greens were absolutely perfect and the whole week there was absolutely nothing in my line to be moving it from anything. So, I have no reason behind it. I did not mean it at all.” – explaining what happened on the 17th green in the third round of the ANA Inspiration

“I know a number of guys on Tour that are loose with how they mark the ball and have not been called on it ... I think that kind of stuff needs to stop. But I think it should be handled within the Tour.” – in the wake of Lexi Thompson’s ball-marking incident at the ANA Inspiration

“I will say, and we’ve said this publicly before, too, this notion that good greens have to be fast greens is bad for golf. It’s just not good.” - the USGA’s CEO and executive director on green speeds continuing to increase and what it means for golf

“I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions. I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.” – statement after he was arrested for suspicion of DUI

“I’m a fan of Tiger’s, I’m a friend of Tiger’s, and I feel bad for him. I think that he’s struggling, and I wish him well. I hope he gets out of it, and I hope he plays golf again. He needs a lot of support from a lot of people and I’ll be one of them.”

“As you get older and you share these moments, you realize the greatest moments in life are those spontaneous moments with your family. And this is one of those moments that I’ll cherish forever.” – on his decision to skip the U.S. Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation

“For one, the greatness of my round is the 63 in the last round of the U.S. Open to win by one. Everything else is way secondary. If somebody does it tomorrow to win the U.S. Open by one, that’s the specialness of my round. And secondly, Erin Hills isn’t exactly Oakmont.” – comparing his 63 in the final round of the 1974 U.S. Open at Oakmont to Justin Thomas’ 63 in the third round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills

“He texted me after I shot 79 [at the U.S. Open on Thursday] and said, ‘Hey, before you work on something call me because I saw something.’ I was like yeah, you saw 79 shots. I didn’t call him because I was so angry.” – revealing that Tiger Woods texted him during the U.S. Open

“We just could tell that it was time.” – announcing an end to his 25-year working relationship with caddie Jim “Bones”Mackay

“He’ll have a very hard time. I don’t know whether Tiger will play much golf anymore. He might come back and play - I think it would be pretty tough for him, after getting (his spine) fused and as many problems as he has had recently. His are more life problems than they are golf problems right now.” - on Tiger Woods’ struggles, shortly after Woods’ DUI arrest

“I cannot believe what I am seeing on PGA Tour Champions, with regard to the putting strokes of Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron. … I have great respect for Langer and McCarron and have enjoyed watching them play over the years, both as a fellow competitor and as a commentator. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would risk even the hint of suspicion when it comes to the nature of how they play this game. – contending that Langer and McCarron, if they aren’t actually anchoring, at least appear to be violating the no-anchoring rule

“I’m certain that I am not anchoring the putter and that my putting stroke is not violating the Rules of Golf. I have been in contact with the USGA and rules officials ... and each time I have been assured that my putting stroke is within the Rules of Golf.” - in a statement released via the PGA Tour