Notable Soundbites Ahead of the 2025 Senior PGA Championship

As the 2025 Senior PGA Championship approaches, golf’s seasoned legends took to the podium Tuesday with insight, humor, and a touch of bravado. From reflections on the 1997 U.S. Open held at Congressional to an approach to the game, this year’s press conferences offered more than just soundbites—they revealed the mindset of champions still chasing greatness while appreciating their past success. Here are some of the most memorable quotes setting the tone for the week ahead at Congressional.

Thomas Bjorn reflecting on the changes in the course since the 1997 U.S. Open

26 I was. It's an amazing golf course. I can't believe how much it's changed. It's a completely different golf course. But it will be interesting. I'm not quite sure we're that used to playing -- this is big boys' golf. I think when I was 30, I would have really, really loved everything about it. Now at this age, these things get hard to do. But then again, it's all in the setup. If they get it right and just about make it doable, then it'll be great. It is a great championship golf course. I'll look forward to it.

Richard Bland on how it feels defend his 2024 Senior PGA Championship title

Whenever you've won and you go back to defend, of course you're always going to have fond memories. Yeah, it was my first ever senior event, so yeah, I was kind of going into it a little bit last year -- what's the right word? A little bit sort of blindsided a little bit. I knew obviously there's a lot of good players out here, but having not competed with those guys for quite a while, you don't know where your game is going to stack up against them. I was confident that if I played the golf that I was playing at the time and I took that forward into the Senior PGA, I felt I would have a say in how the championship would pan out. Fortunately on Sunday it went my way.

READ MORE: Richard Bland to Defend Senior PGA Championship in Historic Trip to Congressional

Jason Caron, PGA, on being a teaching professional and competing on the Champions Tour since his T4 in the 2024 Senior PGA Championship

Three full-time jobs: A dad, a husband, and then I've got this job and then I have the job at Mill River as the head golf professional. I have such a great staff, and someone mentioned that to me before. They said, how is it going around, traveling, playing, and being a head golf professional. I said, listen, you're only as good as your staff is, and I have a great staff at Mill River. I feel confident that they can get the job done while I'm out here trying to compete and play against these great players. It's a challenge. I get phone calls even yesterday, this morning. But I can handle all that stuff. The bookwork is a little tough when you get home. You've got to catch up and make payments and that kind of stuff. But I try to plan in advance, and it's been -- it's still a lot of fun. Like I said, I love to compete. That's something I love to do. To be able to say that I play on the Champions Tour is pretty amazing.

Ernie Els remembering his victory at the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional

They've played quite a few events after the '97 U.S. Open, but the '97 memories are right where I'm at. When I'm walking around the fairways I keep remembering shots that I played. My parents were here. I played with a kid this morning who's 27, and I was 27 back in '97, and my dad was my age that I am today. I'm 55. It's like a full reversal. It's almost emotional when you think about it. Time has gone so fast. My dad, and my mom is 82 it years of age now, and 27 years ago, we were having so much fun here. That's special.

READ MORE: The 2025 Senior PGA Championship Heads to Congressional

Padraig Harrington on golf owing no one anything

That's my point, you don't [deserve anything from golf]. But the longer you play it, the more you feel like if you swing it well and you hit it well, you have some predictability in things like that, which there is merit to that, but I think the fact is you don't deserve anything, and the score is all that counts at the end of the day. If you were trying to teach a kid and you asked the teenager how they played, you'd want to hear their score, you don't want to hear, I played well but I had 36 putts, but yet we fall into that category of always trying to justify that we're playing well. But at the end of the day, the score is the score in golf, and that's it.
Daid Hutsell on playing in first major near his home
It's very special, living just over an hour away from here in the Baltimore area. To have so many friends and family hopefully are going to come down and watch this week, it's quite a special feeling to get that kind of support. I don't get that every week when I play in section events and things of that nature. To come here to Congressional and get to let them see what this facility is like is going to be a great week.

David Hutsell, PGA, on playing in near home-game Senior PGA Championshop

It's very special, living just over an hour away from here in the Baltimore area. To have so many friends and family hopefully are going to come down and watch this week, it's quite a special feeling to get that kind of support. I don't get that every week when I play in section events and things of that nature. To come here to Congressional and get to let them see what this facility is like is going to be a great week.

Miguel Angel Jimenez on his approach to competition

I feel a knot in my stomach; if not, I would not be here also. That's what I want to do. I want to compete, and my life is around the competition of golf. To me golf is a way of living, and that's what it is. The day that the pressure and the tension is going out from your stomach, I think it's done. Finished.

José María Olazábal on what it means to be playing this week at Congressional

it's fantastic to be back at a golf course like Congressional. I played here, what was it, '96, '97 I think it was when Ernie won, and then I saw Rory winning in 2011. Obviously the golf course is playing different to then. We played yesterday nine holes, and I have to say that the golf course is going to be demanding; let's put it that way. I was really impressed with the greens and the surroundings of the greens. It doesn't give you any room for error, and the greens were really firm yesterday. I don't know if they're going to keep them like that for the rest of the week. But as I said, it's fantastic to be back at a place like this, Congressional. Great golf course and great venue. Having the PGA here I think is fantastic.

Steve Stricker on his health following playing his first event in nearly four months last week due to injury

It's been a challenge lately, a little bit. Back is not great. Really I was sidelined the last four months because of a neck problem that I lost a whole bunch of strength down my arm, was in -- had a bunch of nerve pain for about five, six weeks, got some shots, alleviated that, and then it's been about getting that strength back because I lost a bunch of strength there. It's been a little bit of a challenge, but I'm here and excited to play. I'll be fine come Thursday. Get some rest tomorrow, but yeah, it's not great.