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JOHN DEERE CLASSICJuly 11, 2014Steven IhmSILVIS, ILLINOIS Q. Talk about the excitement of putting yourself in a good position. STEVEN IHM: It's awesome. You know, I don't think I've been more nervous over a second shot in my life, but I absolutely flushed it. It was probably one of the best shots I hit all day. I really felt good and I was really in the moment on this front nine, and I finally made a few putts, which makes a difference. Q. What happened on that front nine? STEVEN IHM: Putting. Honestly, it was great ball‑striking, but I was hitting it not as well, but I was hitting it good yesterday, too. Today I just rolled in those eight, 12‑footers that you've got to make to compete. Q. Did you feel yourself getting into a groove? STEVEN IHM: Yeah, definitely. I was definitely in on every shot, and the putting felt a lot better on the front, so I was definitely grooved in on that, too. Q. What's it like playing for pay? Is it a little different? STEVEN IHM: Yeah, I mean, it's still golf, but it's a fun mindset knowing that a little paycheck will come at the end of it. Q. Just talk about the accomplishment of making the cut here. Last year you came close, within two shots, and didn't look good for you yesterday, a couple late birdies kind of kept your head above water, and to finish like you did on the front I'm sure sets the table for the weekend. STEVEN IHM: Yeah, honestly it was an amazing day. You know, if you would have told me coming off of 17 after missing that little four‑footer for birdie that I was going to make the cut easily, I would have been like, well, I must have played pretty good on the front. It was just a great nine, and I just thought of it‑‑ that putt was for 29 on the front, which is unbelievable. It was so much fun. Q. That second shot you're talking about, was that on 18? STEVEN IHM: Well, the second shot on 18, I don't think anybody knows how good that was. That probably missed the tree by like an inch or two. That putt kind of got things rolling. That was the first one that I felt it come off the face a little better and down the line, and that kind of got things rolling for me. Q. Your coach told me that you've got a five‑year plan for pro golf. Does making the cut here fit into that five‑year plan? STEVEN IHM: Yes, it does. When you get the opportunity, you've got to take advantage of it. I mean, not a lot of guys get to make their pro debut at a PGA TOUR event, so I mean, this is obviously the first step in hopefully a long list of cuts that I make. You know, I'm really excited at how I played today and how things are looking for the future. Q. Technically it's Illini Day here at the John Deere Classic, but talk about being out here and hearing the Iowa fans really get after you. STEVEN IHM: It was really fun, coming down the front nine, even making par putts they were roaring. It was super fun. I'm so glad I could do it in front of a home crowd. It was just unbelievable. Q. There's going to be a lot more of them on the weekend I would guess. STEVEN IHM: Yeah, I'm sure it'll be packed on the weekend. I know there's a few people that were talking to me that said they could only come on Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday or something like that. I'm sure there will be a good following tomorrow and Sunday, as well. Q. What's your schedule? Do you have anything planned event wise the next couple months? STEVEN IHM: So I'm basically just trying to Monday for Web.coms the next few weeks, and my backup plans for those are the Waterloo Open and the Cedar Rapids Open and probably play the Iowa Open, but that's if I don't Monday through for those Web.coms. Schedule is kind of set for the next month and a half or so, but after that it's looking to move South and get things going with the pro career. Q. Talk about the importance of this event to get yourself established and get some attention from companies and‑‑ STEVEN IHM: It's super important. Like I said, it's a great opportunity to really get your name out there, and making the cut is obviously a big stop in doing that. You can miss the cut by one and it almost means nothing because it's like losing. It doesn't matter, they only care about who wins. Making the cut is obviously a great step forward for my career. Q. Were you able to blot out that cut line thought and just play golf? STEVEN IHM: A little bit. You know, it's always kind of in the back of your head. I mean, for me it was‑‑ on the greens I was just seeing the lines and everything felt really good off the putter, so I was really focusing on those. I wasn't worried about if I miss this or if I run this by, it was more just a I've got the putt, why not make it kind of aspect. Q. You said south. Do you know where you're going? STEVEN IHM: Not for sure yet. It's going to be Florida, though, almost for sure. Q. Tour qualifying, are you going to try that? STEVEN IHM: Yeah, Q‑school in the fall. I don't think they've released the dates for that yet, so we'll look at that when it comes to it, and maybe do Latin American Tour school or a few other things. That's not until like January or February. The schedule is still out there, but this is definitely a good start. Q. Were you able to stay in the moment, six birdies on the front, you're feeling pretty good, fans are going crazy, and it's like, man, this is a TOUR event, I'm doing this? STEVEN IHM: I was definitely in the moment out there. I mean, it was fun. I mean, the difference from yesterday to today was yesterday I was almost trying to force things. My head was down most of the day, and today I was just out there, had my head up looking around, chitchatting with the crowd a bit. It was just a lot more fun of an experience today. Q. Will you go to Idaho the next Web.com? STEVEN IHM: Well, that's on‑‑ well, the qualifier is on Monday. Q. Pretty tough to do. STEVEN IHM: Yeah, I probably won't make that one. I don't think I am signed up for it. But if I can get an exemption through this week, but I don't think they‑‑ Q. So if you're in the top 25 here you would get in that? Is that how that works? STEVEN IHM: I have no idea. That would be pretty cool if it was. Q. But now‑‑ STEVEN IHM: Now it's just looking forward. Q. Now instead of thinking about making the cut, you're thinking about some really substantial things. STEVEN IHM: Yeah, definitely. I mean, just playing well the next two days. You can't get too far ahead of yourself and say, well, I need to make the top 15 or I need to make the top 25 to get in. You've got to do like I did today, just take it a shot at a time and try to make some putts. Q. Anything you'll do differently tonight than you did last night? STEVEN IHM: No, I mean, I probably won't have pizza tonight, but it'll be the same otherwise. Sit back, relax. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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