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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPMay 8, 2015Branden GracePONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA Q. Some thoughts on your round and how you played today. BRANDEN GRACE: I thought it was good. I think when you get off to a good start, 2-under for the first three, it can really get your round going. But you can't take it for granted. There's a couple of tough holes out there and you have to stay patient and try to make the opportunities and take them. After the good start, I made two silly bogeys on 13 and 14, which got it back to square. Then I was still hitting the ball nicely. I think the big key for me today is eagling 16 and birdieing 18. I think after making the turn in 3-under par, then you really know, with the wind conditions and wind direction, there's a couple of birdie chances on the front nine today. So you just have to stay patient and take it as it comes. I'm really pleased with how things went today. Q. What was the club into 16? BRANDEN GRACE: 16, I actually smashed a drive, I couldn't hit it any better. And I had a good 7-iron, just a nice solid 7-iron I think from 200. So I hit it about 15 feet just below the pin and managed to roll the putt in. So that was a nice moment to get that going. Obviously, 17 today, gusting straight into you, it's a tough hole. So you just want to take your par and go. And 18 wasn't much easier as well. I ripped a drive again, got a 6-iron in from 172. So it shows you, I normally hit a 6-iron 195, so it's about a two and a half club straight in and I managed to hit it to about three or four feet and made it. So I think that was a big momentum key for today. Q. Last year kind of an up-and-down week here for you, is there something you maybe learned to kind of avoid the bigger, higher scores here? BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, I actually didn't play last year. I played 2013. I actually had a great week that week. I played really solid golf. I like the type of golf course it is. We have to hit it straight, we have to stay patient, take your chances when they come to you. I think I was top-10 with three to go and I just finished badly. I was 5-over for my last three holes. That's costly around this place. So I think I learned a little bit, those holes you just have to always go for the wider side of things and take the birdie if it gives you it and otherwise just make sure you can walk off with par. I think I've done that the first two days so far. So I think that's been the big key. Q. Do you feel like you have more confidence now coming back into the U.S. that you're playing better now and feeling like you're getting a better feel for what it's like over here? BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, definitely. I had a great start to the year as well so I think the confidence is up. Obviously, coming off two top-10s helps as well. So I think the ball striking is there, the putting has been good the last couple of weeks, and I feel I've been in the thick of things. I think I had a -- not a, not the best of chances to win at RBC, but I had a good chance to finish maybe runner-up or so, but the putter just went cold. But coming into this week with two top-10s is great and the way that I'm hitting the ball it shouldn't, I shouldn't be far off going into the weekend. So, it's the position you want to be in going into the weekend as well. Q. Is it just the top-10s in the last two starts just a confidence thing? BRANDEN GRACE: I think so. I think just took me a little while when I came over for the first couple, just to get used to the greens again. Obviously the greens out here are a lot firmer and quicker than back in Europe. So, I just got used to the first couple of weeks and I actually played really good golf and really solid golf the first couple weeks coming out, just never had the finishes. I never had those putts that you need to make to keep the round going, I never had those. Now I just think I make those and keep the round rolling forward and just staying patient. I think that's the main thing. Q. Not saying we discount what happens if it's not in the United States, but a lot of people look at it and say, well, what can that player do when he gets here. Do you feel added pressure when you get here to try to perform well? BRANDEN GRACE: I do and I don't. I believe I should be able to do, to play well here and achieve some goals. A lot of the tournaments that I won before in Europe, internationally, there was good fields. Rose, Sergio, Stenson, all those guys were in the field -- Rory also. So, it's just different. It's a lot different coming from South Africa and from Europe coming to these places. Everything's a lot bigger and blown up to Europe. So you just have to get used to it and just get it going. I think with the last two top-10s has been great and I think that just kept me getting on the path and just kept rolling forward. I think that's been the big key. Q. How big of a difference was it, yesterday afternoon tee time and this morning? How big of a difference was that? BRANDEN GRACE: I think it played fairly similar. Obviously, the wind blew yesterday afternoon. We had four or five holes with no wind this morning. But otherwise than that, when we got to the tough stretch there on from 15 onwards, it was really blowing as well. I hit a driver, 7-iron into 16, which you need wind from behind to be able to do that. So the only difference that I could say there was, the greens were a lot quicker this morning. Obviously yesterday, as the day progresses, the greens get a little bit bumpy with the spikes and stuff and I think that was the main thing this morning, the greens were pure, they were quick, and the only way you would miss them was if you didn't get the line. So it's been a great day so far. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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