|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS CHAMPIONSHIPSeptember 14, 2014Justin ThomasCOLUMBUS, OHIO Q. Congratulations. I know it probably looked with a couple, three holes to play it looked you were down by I think three shots. Maybe just take us through that last part and then your shot on the playoff. JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I try not to look at leaderboards or look behind me too much, I just tried to kind of stick to my own game. But although when I did, it seemed like every time Richard was in the fairway or on the green or something like that. That's kind of why I don't like, so I don't see stuff like that. But that's the thing about this course is you take a hole like 16, it's a 4‑iron, wedge, but you miss the fairway and it becomes a grind for par. So, I knew I just had to keep trying to give myself chances at birdies and I knew 18 was realistically my best chance out of 16 and 17 with that pin being where it was. So, I tried to obviously give me get a little closer look than I could on 16 or 17, but, yeah, that shot in the playoff was awesome. It was comfortable with me. I just tried to hit a 75 dollars yard shot with a lob wedge and that's a pretty good number for me with that club. I feel like most of the time I'm distinguishing going to get it pretty close to around the hole. Obviously this was a little different situation than when I'm practicing it, but it was awesome to see it go up there close. Q. It was an L wedge you said from 75? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, 60 degree. I was trying to land it about 76 down wind, try to land it 735. Q. Did you have about a three foot putt? JUSTIN THOMAS: It was about 20 feet. I don't know what you're talking about. (Laughter.) Yeah, it was probably two and a half, three feet. Q. When you guys, the way you guys play 18, is there a gap or are you trying to fly the trees? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, there's not. You try to take it over everything. There's kind of a V off the tee like on this tree probably 80 yards off the tee. I just went, when you get the wind off the right for me at least if I draw it I can kind of take it at the left edge of the V and try and draw it. In regulation I kind of hit a little cut against it and I was, it went, it got to the fairway, so I knew especially with the adrenaline pumping in that playoff, if I turned 1‑over I could take it pretty far left and it went a little farther left than I wanted but I hit it hard so it got out there. Q. What is the carry that you're playing over that tree? JUSTIN THOMAS: It's probably like 290 over like that tree to get to the fairway. Q. In the air? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah. But, I don't know where the landing is. Probably landed it in the rough and got it out there. Q. When you finished regulation, and you looked at the board, how far back were you? JUSTIN THOMAS: When I finished I was tied. Q. No, I mean when ‑‑ oh ‑‑ oh, okay. Okay. JUSTIN THOMAS: So they told me you're tied. Q. Did you think they were lying to you? JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I happened to look back and saw Richard kind of one arm his shot on 17, so I figured he obviously didn't like it too much. Even if hit the green it's a tough 2‑putt. I thought hi to birdie 18 to have a chance. I got fortunate. Q. Can you put into words what it means to win? JUSTIN THOMAS: No. I can't. Q. Can you try? JUSTIN THOMAS: It's tough. I don't want to Se Ri leaving, but because it's hard to win. You can play really good for five, six years and never win an event. The level of golf is so high and you just have to ‑‑ to win you have to have things go your way and it just needs to be your week. It's tough to win. I think everyone was kind of giving me, I don't want to say pressuring me, but was kind of like, you know, when are you going to get that win. And I was like, I don't know. I'm hoping it's this week, but I just don't know. Q. They do know you just started, right? JUSTIN THOMAS: Exactly. Like I just kept saying, the more I get myself in contention, the better my chances are and the more I'm going to be comfortable in that situation. Today I was pretty comfortable the whole day. Especially those last four or five holes, I really, really played well. I played well from 6 on, but I really hit some good shots. The only time I was really nervous the whole day was that putt on 18 in regulation. Q. What does it mean to get a spot in the Memorial tournament? JUSTIN THOMAS: It's awesome. Especially after playing last year. I know how unbelievable that event is. That course is so good. It's just hard. It's pretty similar to how this played this week, with firmness and everything like that. So I'm looking forward to getting back there, just because it's not too far from home. Q. What were conditions like today, the wind wasn't what it was the last couple days. JUSTIN THOMAS: It was swirling every where. But it was kind of that, it was that low enough miles per hour to where it wasn't really consistent or coming out of one direction. I was joking with Tom who I played with, we played like three straight holes and somehow they were all into the wind and I said I guess we're going to play them all into the wind today. Didn't really know what the wind was doing. But the pins were good. Had some that were accessible, but it felt like from the second day on you just really had to be on and be really consistent and really pinpoint on where you were hitting it and where you were landing it. Q. Was it extra special to be able to do it in front of local relatives did it feel like home? JUSTIN THOMAS: A little bit. I got a little ahead of myself kind of in that kind of coming up 18 or when I got done with 18, kind of I thought for a second what could have happened and I just kind of got chills. Obviously just threw that right out of my head. But it's really cool. I was happy my dad could come today. It's crazy, we have put in a lot of work to get to where I am now and it's pretty awesome to get a win my first year. Q. Have you visited Columbus much, having relatives? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I would come stay with my grandparents all the time when I was a kid and I played a lot of junior golf in Ohio and whenever I did I would usually stay with them. So I've been to Columbus many many times. Q. Your grand pars have lived in Columbus for awhile? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah they lived here, I don't know, exactly how long, but they have been here awhile. Q. What are their names? JUSTIN THOMAS: Phyllis and Paul. Q. P H Y L L I S? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yes are, I think. So all I know is grandma. (Laughter.) I know how to spell that. Q. Richard said he's been playing for 10 weeks and he's going to go home tomorrow morning and take next week off. Obviously, you're going to go to Florida and a try for that No. 1 position? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean more so I just want to go just because I have another opportunity to try and get in contention. It's a great course and that Sunday night afternoon's going to be really, really cool. It's going to be a lot different than Portland, because it's an official now, it's going to be, you know, I'm going to know where I am. More importantly, I love being out here, I love hanging out with these guys and I got a little game on Wednesday I'm looking forward to playing. Q. Where, with who? JUSTIN THOMAS: Well we're against Colt and Carlos, Bud was my partner, you, I told him he was selfish for not playing even though he tore his labrum, but so I got it if I understand a partner, but yeah, I love playing with those guys, so it will be fun. Q. Patrick Rodgers going to be a potential partner? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, we'll see if he wants to. I don't know how he's feeling but, yeah, he's usually in the top of my list for those. Q. A lot of players have said this week that this is like the most difficult course out here on the WEB.COM TOUR this year. What does it mean to you that you were finally able to come out on top on the course that is this tough? JUSTIN THOMAS: It means a lot. I think I play a lot better on courses like this than where you have to shoot 25 under every day. I don't think you necessarily have to be on, you just have to miss it in the right places and kind of scramble well and I felt like that's what I did when I wasn't hitting it well, but, yeah, it's cool to get it Donna place like this. Q. Was there anything about this week in terms of your game and the way you felt out there that maybe was a little sharp per, a little crisper this week than the rest of the season? JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I was just really patient. It was probably the best my attitude's been the whole year. I had to be at a place like this. I started off pretty poorly today. I didn't really hit any good shots. I hit a great drive on 2 and I hit a great drive on 4, but other than that I really did nothing. But I really hit a good iron shot on 6 and that just completely turned it around for me. After that I really, really played well and I think that like every day I had a good back nine the first two days, which even allowed me to be in this tournament. So I think patience was the big thing this week, not necessarily my game. Q. Did you use the same putter all week? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, she earned her keep. Q. How important is it for you to win in the finals, the series if you can? Is that a goal? JUSTIN THOMAS: A hundred percent. Yeah, I think any player is their goal and what they're doing is to win or be the best at it. I'm affirm believer of I don't know why you would do something if you didn't want to be the best at it or if you didn't want to win it. So that was my goal. But I knew it was going to be tough and this obviously is a nice, I guess, start after three events to help me out. Q. My point being, guys like obviously Bud and Richard, Richard recovering from a hip injury, they're not going to, not everybody goes to the whole way, because they get their card and that's enough. Just didn't know if that was enough for you. JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I have no, I mean the sky's the limit, I really don't have any time I want to stop. I don't see any reason why you can't go to the next week and try to win there or the week after that and try and win there. But, yeah, I just got to kind of put this week in perspective and see kind of what everything, why everything happened and move on. Q. Well there's a better exemption category for winning the finals than just getting the card, too. That's a factor. JUSTIN THOMAS: Um‑hum. Q. Plus you get into the players, right? JUSTIN THOMAS: Um‑hum. Q. That's true. That's another bonus. So still stuff to play for? JUSTIN THOMAS: For sure. Q. On the greens was there any type of putt that you felt more comfortable with this week maybe short range, mid‑range, or lag putts? JUSTIN THOMAS: Not really. I made a lot of those kind of like knee knockers, these greens are so tough and I had I think I had one or two 3‑putt like the first day and I didn't 3‑putt after that. So I thought that was pretty good on these greens. So especially because there's a lot of times you couldn't get it close. So I had a lot of pretty good lag putts, but that kind of like three to six foot range where they're pretty tough I felt like I made a pretty good amount of those. Q. People were saying that they thought the toughest pins were on try day, would you being he could that? JUSTIN THOMAS: Probably. Yeah, but Saturday by far played the hardest. Q. With the wind? JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah. But, yeah, the pins, I don't know if it was that 8‑under up there or what, but it was a tough golf course the last three days. Q. Yesterday you spent some time on the chipping green afterwards, was there any key up‑and‑downs you had today? JUSTIN THOMAS: There was a good up‑and‑down on 6 to get my first birdie. It wasn't a very hard chip, but then again, it was still a chip and on those firm greens you have to land it pretty well. So that was, I would say that was a pretty good one. Other than that, I really hit a lot of greens, so it made it a little easier on myself. Q. Your birdies, what happened on No. 1. Bogey? JUSTIN THOMAS: 1, I hit it in the right bunker and off the tee and I just barely thinned my wedge and it just one hopped over the green. That's just a horrible spot. I chipped it up there, hit a really good putt and it just didn't do what I thought and I just missed it. Q. How far was that? JUSTIN THOMAS: My putt was probably 14 feet. Q. And then your, how far on 6. JUSTIN THOMAS: 6 was two and a half, three feet. Probably three feet. Q. 7? JUSTIN THOMAS: Four feet. Q. 10? JUSTIN THOMAS: Two feet. Q. What did you hit? JUSTIN THOMAS: I hit a sand wedge in there. I had a really great drive and just a 56. Q. And then 11. Bogey. JUSTIN THOMAS: Hit a really good 3‑wood of the that was my only mental mistake of the day, I just kind of got careless and I didn't hit it left of the hole like shore teen I were talking about. Actually had a decent chance to get up‑and‑down and hit a good chip I just pushed the crap out of it. It was unbelievable. I hit a decent putt, just didn't hit it hard enough, which was the speed, I just kind of didn't really account for on some of my putts. Q. How far? JUSTIN THOMAS: Probably 12 feet. Q. You played an AJGA event here when you were 14. Do you remember how you played? JUSTIN THOMAS: Finished like fourth I think. I think Cameron Wilson won. But I don't know. I remember kind of being in contention the last day and I didn't play real well. Q. Do you remember liking the course or anything about the course? JUSTIN THOMAS: Not really. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|