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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 12, 2015Brian DavisPALM HARBOR, FLORIDA MARK STEVENS: Brian Davis, 6-under today. If you want to kind of go through your round, give us the highlights of the round and then we'll have some questions. BRIAN DAVIS: I had fun the front 9. Hit great iron shots, made some putts. Could have been better on the front-9. Then made the turn, greens got a little bit tricky during the day. The golf course was there, no wind and obviously fairly soft so you have to try to make your score today if you could. Q. Just kind of take us through the last three holes and then we'll have some questions. BRIAN DAVIS: I was in the fairway on 7. Hit a poor 8-iron. I was in a divot but I made a bad strike and three-putted. Hit reasonable hybrid, missed it left and fluffed the chip a little bit. Missed the putt. You're going to make bogies around here because it's that type of golf course as soon as you're off you're going to be struggling. Hit two really good shots at the last, I expected a clap and nobody clapped so I know they come up short and I had a funny lie but obviously chip and into the grain. You know, I was delighted to hit the pin and drop in and get under at 6-under. Q. Maybe they didn't clap because they knew what was coming. BRIAN DAVIS: My wife was out there. I looked at my wife. I can tell by her reaction. Q. What were you thinking when it left your club? We couldn't tell from the speed at which it hit. BRIAN DAVIS: The chip? It was in a little hole but down-grain. The chip, the lie was down-grain, obviously into the green was into the grain. When it hits it usually digs in a bit. Shot out a bit quick, had overspin. Probably going to go past about six feet. Hit dead center of the pin and dropped in. Delighted. It's one of those shots where for us guys, reasonable lie you probably going to chip it in a few times. Obviously to do it the last hole, you know, coming off a couple bogies probably big, make dinner taste a little bit better. Q. Trying to tell by your reaction if you were just happy it went in the last hole or you were like oh, that was not going to be a good shot. BRIAN DAVIS: No. I'm known as a great chipper. I'm known for my great short game. Obviously fluffed it a little bit on 8, you know, I know it was a decent lie. Then it's come back was more of that's more like it. One of those days when things are going right, they go in. Q. I guess the natural follow-up going to make dinner taste better, what is for dinner? BRIAN DAVIS: I got my three kids with me. Won't be something exotic, I can assure you. Q. Where do you live, Brian? BRIAN DAVIS: I live in Orlando, Windermere. I first came over when I was 18 and that's where I base myself, played the mini tours. When we came back over as a family 11 years ago, obviously went back to Orlando because that's where I was used to. So, yeah obviously had the kids now and they're American and obviously now we're American officially so -- which happened the end of last year. Q. What's the process there? BRIAN DAVIS: Long one, expensive. We had our Visas and then we went to Green Card and then obviously two of my kids were born here so they're okay but my oldest he was born and then basically I came over, went to the Q-School and we left. He was six months old when we left the UK. Even though he's English he's been brought up here. Q. I'm just curious if you're surprised at more Europeans haven't taken or British taken that route of usually they're on either the European Tour and make the way here, you come straight over and do the mini tours here. BRIAN DAVIS: I think a lot of guys -- you know, obviously the landscape has changed. You've seen it from Peter Uihlein, you've seen it from Brooks, you know, you go over there, you get quality golf around the world, learn different grasses, learn how tough it can be before you come to the PGA TOUR, traveling around, different languages, different currencies, different grass, different golf courses. It's different food. I think it's a really good way to learn, I really do but ultimately everyone wants to be here. Q. You're kind of the reverse one. BRIAN DAVIS: I've done ten years in Europe. Q. You came over when were you 18? BRIAN DAVIS: I came over and played the mini tours. Went to the Q-School. I never forget as long as I live, I was playing the last local and I had a shot to get to the Q-School from second stage and I thought I needed a birdie and went for the green, made a bogey and par would have got me to the Q-School. If I would have made a par I probably would have got -- what was it then, Nike Tour, that would have probably been my route. That year I got in the DHL European Tour event, DHL European Open and I finished 6th. I joined the Tour, paid my money, whatever it was. Didn't even think about. I got called for the European Tour, hey, you lost your card, but you're a member and the money you earn has given you full status because you basically come as a person losing their card even though you only play one event. That was a big decision because I wanted to play on the PGA TOUR, but then I know I got the others. I didn't have any money. Well, what am I going to do? So I went home to the Europe Challenge Tour. Went to the Q-School, finished 2nd that year, got my card in Europe and obviously stayed there. I was actually going to come to the American Tour School two years before I did, so I put that on hold, I withdrew and I stayed another couple years in Europe and I always wanted to come -- I've always loved America, I've always from young age of Sky Sports picking the early coverage up of the PGA TOUR, I just always loved -- it's just me. That's all that it is. Some of the guys come over and find it hard to fit in on Tour, to live the life out here. It's just different. Some people don't like that. But to me it was an easy choice. Q. Living in Orlando, do you get over here to Tampa a lot? BRIAN DAVIS: No. No. Mostly because I'm on Tour and I play a lot. You know, it's just always one of the tournaments -- it's such a good golf course. It's nice to play golf courses where you got to think. Lot of these courses nowadays it's bombs away and par-3s of 230 and that's it, whereas around here you do have to think your way around. Q. When you came over here, how did you land in Orlando of the places to stay? How and where, did you have a connection at least to have a -- BRIAN DAVIS: When I first come over the DHL sponsorship I had I got some coaching from Phil Ritzen who was in Orlando. That's why I came here. Then obviously if you remember Tommy Armour Tour back in the day, that's where I played on. So, you know, that was my home. I'll never forget it my 18th birthday I had a big party and day after I jumped on the plane and left with two suitcases and a set of golf clubs for Orlando. Q. How much cash? BRIAN DAVIS: Not enough (laughter). I landed in Orlando. I had a person trying to help me find a room and house. That was a bit of an eye opener to say the least. I end up in a really good house and good guys, had a great time and even when I was back in Europe I still came over a lot and had lessons and practiced. I made lot of friends over here when I was here. Q. How did you get a place to play and practice and all that? BRIAN DAVIS: I was a member at Windermere Country Club. That's the way it was back in the day when I was 18 years old. Q. Was that your first trip to America after your 18th birthday? BRIAN DAVIS: I came when I was 16 with some of my parents friends. They brought me over and I played a little bit of golf with them. I don't know, always seems like home, you know, whenever I come here I feel at home. Q. Not to test your memory even greater but what was the very first golf course you played in America? BRIAN DAVIS: Orange Lake, 192? Anyone? 192, yeah, 192. Q. Like a resort course? BRIAN DAVIS: Had two, three, 9 hole courses. That was the first place I played when I came over. I was pretty -- I thought it was The Masters to me (laughter). These greens were perfect and weather was perfect. Q. Where were you in England? BRIAN DAVIS: Just north of London. Q. You said you played out her a lot. Is this the best round you've played? BRIAN DAVIS: Yeah. Obviously had good rounds, better rounds, under pressure rounds, things that actually mean something, but the last year has been a bit rough for me. I haven't hit the ball where I wanted to. Short game has always been good but today was the first sign I actually hit some quality shots so that was nice but it's one of those things you fight through injuries and life and you go like this from time to time (indicating). I'm healthy now, knock on wood. Got wood somewhere? Two, three, fours year where I was battling the back of my neck and that sucked. You can't play competitive out here if you're battling injuries all the time. Really hard. Q. So you felt good from the get-go even on the range? BRIAN DAVIS: I played in the Pro-Am. Actually, funny, I actually played in the Monday Pro-Am here. I played 7 in a row and I took last week off. I decided to play Monday practice. I played with Nigel Mansell, racing car legend. He's legend to me. I think I made 7 birdies Monday so just nice to get out and play and obviously to continue it today was awesome. Q. Other than your chip-in, what was your most satisfying shot today? BRIAN DAVIS: Probably -- I hit a lot of good shots today. That was probably the biggest thing for me was to hit a lot of good shots. You know, I'm not really interested in hitting one good shot, two good shots. It's not how good your good ones are, it's how bad your bad ones are. Probably the last year my bad ones have been horrible. You know, the more I can lift the level of less bad shots and more average shots to good shots, obviously that leads to birdies. Q. Did you make any long putts? BRIAN DAVIS: Made a bomb on par 3 from the middle of the green. Made a bomb there. Apart from that I hit a lot of good shots today. Gave myself a lot of chances. Q. Is it at all frustrating, you've been in this game too long now, when you've had just really mediocre finishes if you're making a cut? You had a decent run in Honolulu, still a good result. You come back and there's no momentum it seems like. BRIAN DAVIS: Usually -- I've never -- I don't feel I've ever had a good West Coast, ever. I don't know what it is. Obviously I'm a Florida boy, the grass has a big difference. Obviously being away from home, if I decide to go and play a long stretch, I'm away from home for a long time. I've got three young kids. That can sometimes be tough, just the whole thing about it. Then you try and take a week off or you miss a cut and then I'm going to fly in for three days and fly away. I was quite shocked to place well in Honolulu because I had a bit of time off. I hadn't played since the end of last year. Wow, that break obviously did me good, I'm looking forward to the West Coast and nothing really happened. I've been around long enough to know in this game it's always going to be a bit like that. Top of the game or the bottom of the game, there's ebbs and flows. The biggest thing at the end of the day you know what you got to do. Just go do it. As my dad always said, when people are moaning and not getting in the tournaments or moaning, looked at me and said, "Play better." That's true. Just got to go and play better. MARK STEVENS: Thanks for your time, Brian. BRIAN DAVIS: Awesome. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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