FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, January 18th, 2020

NOTABLE QUOTES: DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS, SATURDAY’S THIRD ROUND

NBC Sports Notable Quotes

Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions

Third Round

Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club

Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Saturday, Jan. 18

**The Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions is the season-opening event on the LPGA Tour, comprised of 26 LPGA winners from the past two years joined by 49 celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment.

**GOLF Channel will air live coverage of the final round on Sunday from 2-3 pm ET, continuing on NBC from 3-5 p.m. ET

Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions Third Round Leaderboard

Inbee Park                   -13

Sei Young Kim           -11

Nasa Hataoka              -10

Celine Boutier            -9

Brooke Henderson      -8

Gaby Lopez                -8

Celebrity Division (Modified Stableford Scoring)

John Smoltz                111 points

Mardy Fish                  107 points

Mark Mulder               105 points

Chad Pfeifer                101 points

On Inbee Park, leader at 13-under par (4-under 67 on Saturday)

Jerry Foltz – “When she starts rolling it on the greens, there isn’t anyone else that can compete with her.”

Karen Stupples – “She doesn’t have the same power as some of the bigger hitters on Tour, but when she hits her wedges and is on her short game like she is, she doesn’t need the power.

Stupples – “It is no surprise to see Inbee Park to be playing here early in the season, earlier than when she normally would because she wants to qualify for the Olympics and defend her Olympic gold medal.”

Stupples – “She has tremendous rhythm, but I don’t think I have seen her swing through ball with such freeness in a long time. Her iron play has been tremendous this week.”

On Park making a three-putt bogey on 18

Karen Stupples – “We all floored by her three-putt to finish her day. I think Inbee kind of has opened door for some of the other players with her bogey on 18.”

Jerry Foltz – “We don’t see this from Inbee. I can’t remember the last time I saw Inbee three-putt from this range.

John Smoltz, leader in the celebrity division with 111 points, speaking with NBC Sports’ Damon Hack following his round

John Smoltz – “The last two days have been a mental grind. Like every golfer, you give away some but then you grind out some pars. Pars are huge in our format. I was disappointed in 16 and 17, but I have to remember that you stay in the game with pars and you run into birdies. Lost my putter today as far as speed control, but to be in this situation, I will not be staring at a lot of pins tomorrow. I’ll make the guys behind me make birdies. Pars are king.”

Smoltz – “This tournament is about taking advantage of the holes. I haven’t. I think I’ve gotten two birdies on the par 5’s this entire tournament. I need to get better at that, but tomorrow I’ll be focused on making a lot of pars.”

On Nasa Hataoka, currently T3 at 10-under par (3-under 68 on Saturday)

Grant Boone – “Like her mother named her, she has made a meteoric rise into the top 10 these last couple of years.”

On Brooke Henderson, T5 at 8-under par (1-over 72 on Saturday)

Tom Abbott – “She has become one of Canada’s leading athletes.”

Jerry Foltz – “And one of the most popular.”

Foltz – “So talented and such a good person to be around.”

On Chad Pfeifer, 4th in the celebrity division with 101 points

Jerry Foltz – “This is one of the more inspirational stories in golf. The way that he hits the golf ball, coming into the sport after his injury and learning to play with a prosthetic leg, he is one exceptional athlete. He has no give up in him.”

On Blair O’Neal, 7th in the celebrity division with 96 points (playing six months pregnant)

Grant Boone – “She has played exceptionally well this week. Playing for two

Karen Stupples – “I found what you lose in distance, you gain in short game when you’re pregnant. She is finding that out this week.”

-NBC Sports Group-