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WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA DAYMarch 12, 2012Lucas GloverLEE PATTERSON: We want to thank you all for joining us today and taking some time out of your busy schedules for our champion's conference call, and as we begin to celebrate our 10th anniversary of the Wells Fargo Championship this year. Last year Lucas became the tournament's ninth different champion, and he was the first player in tournament history to record all four rounds in the 60s, finishing at 15‑under par. If you don't mind, just reflect on the week at Quail Hollow Club and it ended with a very special Sunday finish for you. LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, obviously a great week. That goes without saying. But to finish on Mother's Day there and to have my mom there and a lot of friends and family and then the playoff with Jonathan, of course, was special for both of us. But yeah, it was just all around a great week and was happy to come out on top. But if I hadn't have and Jonathan would have, it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world to be honest with you. But I was fortunate, and it was a special week, and it was a good Mother's Day gift for Mom. It was fun. LEE PATTERSON: A lot had been made about your putting that week, but I think you also found something Wednesday in your ball‑striking. Do you want to reflect on that a little bit? LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I had been struggling, had been putting well all year and had been struggling with my ball‑striking, which it's usually the other way around for me. But yeah, as of Wednesday, it wasn't going very well and just made a slight adjustment on the driving range with my setup. I actually had the club face really open at address, and anybody that plays golf knows that if that's the case you're not going to hit it like you should. And then the adjustment there, for the next day or two, I struggled to hit it, but I knew it was right, and it clicked. I still didn't drive it like I would have liked, but I was fortunate that my misses weren't terrible. But yeah, I don't think‑‑ without that little adjustment, I don't think it would have mattered how well I putted, I had been hitting it so poorly. Q. Also, I think on Saturday, on the 10th hole, didn't you make a putt that kind of made you feel like this might be my week? LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I made a pretty long one on 10. I had some good fortune on 10 on the weekend. I made a long one for birdie, and then on 10 on Sunday I made another pretty long putt up and over the ridge for eagle to kind of get back in the game a little bit. So yeah, No.10 was a turning point on Saturday to kind of get the feeling that, all right, this might be the week, and then Sunday to make another one there, that kind of I guess thrust me back into it because I was still a couple back at that point. Q. Could you just sort of update me on your status, physical status and everything? I know you were planning to come back a little earlier, but where things stand with all that right now? LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I am actually on my way to Tampa as we speak. So 100 percent with the knee. I'm in good gym shape. I've just got to see what kind of golf shape I'm in now. I've been practicing a lot the last probably five or six weeks as much as I could, but the walking thing five or six days in a row for a couple weeks was the only thing that held me back. I was committed to Puerto Rico, to go down there and play, and then Tampa, but I just didn't feel like I could put in the five or six days in a row quite yet, so I delayed it one more week and took care of some things this week as far as trying to walk and play, not just play. I feel like the knee is 100 percent, but I've got to put my body through the week. I hate to miss Mr.Palmer's event next week, but I'm going to have to use that as an evaluation week after this week. Scheduling wise that's where I stand. I'm going to play this week. Hopefully everything goes well as far as my stamina and my knee and then take next week to evaluate all that, and then I've got three in a row, Houston, Augusta, Hilton Head. So hopefully everything goes well and I can start playing like I want to. Q. Just wanted to talk a little bit about the reputation this tournament has on the TOUR. Can you just talk about what the players think of the Wells Fargo? LUCAS GLOVER: Oh, we all love it. Mr.Harris and his staff and Kym Hougham and his staff, they do a great job. They take great care of us. The golf course and the field, and it all kind of speaks for itself. You know you've got a great event when the field continues to improve and guys keep coming back. The golf course holds up. It's in perfect shape every year, and the tournament staff, everybody does a great job of taking good care of us and making us feel at home because Quail Hollow has that feel. You get there, it's a big place, and you feel like you're kind of at home. They make sure we feel that way for the week. It's fun, and it's a great event, and not to mention a great test for all of us. It's on everybody's short list for best tournaments of the year and tournaments we all want to play and be involved in. Q. What is it about the course that really sets up well for a tournament like that and of that stature? LUCAS GLOVER: Well, it's a major caliber course. They've tinkered with having rough, not having rough, and the scores haven't differentiated that much, so that tells you how good of a golf course it really is. They could set it up numerous ways and still get the same results. But the condition of the golf course, the setup of the golf course, the layout of the golf course, everything lends itself to a great tournament, great event, a lot of drama. So it's just one of those that it stands out for everybody. Q. Go back and talk a little bit about last year, the playoff with Jonathan. I know when you guys got ready to go, Jim Nantz came on and talked about it being the Clemson Invitational. And now coming into this year you've got three guys from Clemson going to the Masters this year. Is this the best crowd that has come out of South Carolina and in particular Clemson, and why is it happening now? What is it about you guys that makes it seem like the peak time for both people from the state and the school? LUCAS GLOVER: Right. Last year with Jonathan, it was‑‑ I had that feeling he was going to make birdie and we were going to have to play some more golf, and then he did, and I was happy he did. I think it was special for both of us. Jim Nantz, that was pretty good buzz for Clemson and Clemson golf there, that little piece he did and what he said. Two hours from campus, we had a lot of orange and white in the crowd, and it was fun. It was a good scene. As for the way things are going for the ex‑teammates and guys that played at Clemson, I really don't know. I think maybe it's a tribute to Larry and his recruiting, I guess. But he runs a great program there, and he finds talented kids and helps them along. We've just been‑‑ I don't know, we've been hot for a couple years, all of us, so it's been‑‑ I don't know, I would attribute it to Larry and his eye for talent and then his developing of talent more than anything. Q. This year at the Masters in addition to you and Jonathan and Kyle Stanley, you're going to have Dustin who's been playing great and Bill Haas, and four of you guys come out of South Carolina, out of the junior programs and stuff like that. LUCAS GLOVER: Right. Q. What does that say about not just Clemson and Larry but just the talent that seems to be coming up right now from the state? LUCAS GLOVER: Well, like you said, there's a lot of talent in South Carolina, and when I was coming up, I guess that group of guys, and then you've got to give some credit there to Happ and the guys that run the golf association and the junior golf association. They run great events and kind of breed that competition. They run a great program and a great association there. A little credit to them, too, for keeping it all competitive in the state. But with the golf programs and the universities in South Carolina that have had great golf schools, there's five or six great schools for golf in South Carolina, so there's plenty of opportunities for guys to go to the local schools and do well. Just a lot of opportunities in our state. Q. When you went to Bethpage and won the Open, it seemed like that kind of knocked down a little mental barrier for maybe guys in your age group but also guys from South Carolina about the ability of people in that age group and from the state to contend and win majors.  Do you feel that way? Has there been any conversation about that, or what do you think about that? LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I don't think anybody has ever really‑‑ we've never really talked about it, but it might have been one of those situations. We haven't really talked about it, but I don't know, I hope that was the case for some guys, that it gave them some confidence, a renewed motivation. I hope that's the case. But I haven't spoke to anybody about that or anything like that. But if my good fortune helped guys along mentally or motivated them further, good, because especially our age group and our youngish American players‑‑ I guess I'm not young anymore, but I hope if that did enter some guys' minds that it helped, yeah, absolutely. Q. While you've been out, have you watched much golf or have you intentionally stayed away from it? Have you felt the itch even more, or what's it been like? LUCAS GLOVER: I'll say I could probably tell you who won most of the events, but sat down and watched it, no, I have not. I've been on the golf course as much as I could instead of watching it. But you know, I feel like I've kept up enough to know who's played well and who hasn't. But as far as sitting down and watching it, honestly, no, I haven't. Q. What's going to be your biggest question as you get back out there? Nothing about your golf game, just about your being able to handle the day‑after‑day grind right now? LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I think so. I think as far as‑‑ like I said, I feel like I'm in pretty good gym shape because I've been able to do all that and I've been able to hit a bunch of balls, but it's hard to simulate five or six days in a row, practice round, pro‑am, then hopefully four rounds and take a Monday off and do it over again for two or three weeks in a row. It's one of those things you can't simulate. And then the mental part of it, I haven't been‑‑ I haven't had to make a putt for anything that matters since the first week of November, so I'll be anxious and interested to see how I handle it. I haven't forgotten how to play or forgotten how to compete, but it's just one of those things where it might take some time to get back into the right mindset or the right frame of mind. I haven't had to mark a ball with a coin in five months and not worry about stepping in people's lines, so I don't know how I'm going to do with all that stuff, either. Q. What are your thoughts when you come to the final three holes at Quail Hollow, the Green Mile? What are your thoughts on the first, second and third and particularly final round when you head to those final three holes? LUCAS GLOVER: Well, it's as tough and as good a finish as anything anywhere. 16 is a great driving hole. You've got to be really precise with that mid iron into that narrow green. If you miss the green, all the up‑and‑downs and stuff. 17, if you miss the green, I'd like to see the numbers on that to be honest with you because I don't think very many guys hit it, especially from that back right tee. But 17 you've got to suck it up and say I've got to hit the right shot here at the right time, and you've got to be a little more aggressive than you'd like because of the way the green is, which plays into that hole's hands because the more aggressive you are the bigger chance there is for a big number. You get through 17, then you've got 18, the tee shot and then the second shot. Both are equally as difficult because of the water left and the trouble right. You stand on that tee on 18, and the fairway, as far as numbers, is somewhat wide, but the angle and then the elevation and then the look of it makes it play very narrow. You hit a nice tee shot, and you've still got that second shot, three‑tiered green and the false front, water left, big bunkers right. It's just quite a test and it's quite a finish. It's all you want. You've got to hit five great‑‑ five really solid great full shots and then be on the right portion of each of the greens to think about a par or even a birdie. It's just a good test, and you've got to be executing properly to get through there with three pars, much less make any birdies. LEE PATTERSON: Lucas, we appreciate your time and everybody else's, and we look forward to seeing everyone in a couple weeks. Thank you again, and appreciate your time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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