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AT&T BYRON NELSONMay 26, 2015Brendon ToddIRVING, TEXAS ROYCE THOMPSON: Brendon Todd, thank you for joining us. Your fifth start this week at the AT&T Byron Nelson. If you could, some thoughts about earning your first PGA TOUR victory here last year. BRENDON TODD: Yeah. Obviously first win last year at this tournament. I was just trying to win every week so finally get one was a big stepping stone in my career and it's been a good run since then with 7, 8, Top-10s but would like to get back in the winner's circle. Hopefully we'll get some good vibes going this week. ROYCE THOMPSON: Maybe just talk to us about getting to meet with Mrs. Peggy Nelson this morning and that whole special event. BRENDON TODD: Peggy is obviously a special lady. She's meant a lot to this golf tournament over the years, especially with the passing of the late Byron Nelson. She's such a positive energy. She does a great job at the opening ceremony this morning just telling little story about Byron and kind of talking to the kids and making sure, you know, that they understood how important they are to the tournament and just the opportunity they have in front of them with all the Salesmanship Club, all the process, AT&T, everybody supporting them and their future. It was pretty inspirational. ROYCE THOMPSON: We'll open it up for questions. Q. I think there's only been three back-to-back champions here, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead. How tough is it to repeat on Tour and how do you feel about your chances going into this weekend? BRENDON TODD: I think it's very difficult to repeat on Tour. I noticed Matt Every did it earlier this year at the Arnold Palmer. Did Jimmy Walker repeat at Sony? Two guys so far this week. To join the names of Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Tom Watson would be pretty special so that would be a huge accomplishment for me. I feel good coming into the week. I feel like my game has been pretty solid this year. Any given week put it altogether and stop making the silly mistakes and be there right at the lead. I will say the golf course is -- couldn't be more different this year than it was last year. Whatever they've had, 16 inches of rain the last 13 days, whatever, the numbers are it's crazy. Been super wet. I played 9 this morning and the golf course is totally under water, not a dry spot in any fairway. I'm sure we'll be playing lift, clean and place. The greens are holding up pretty good. It's like any golf tournament, you're going to have to hit the ball well and make putts. So, you know, when my putting is on I have a good chance to win. Q. Brendon, I'm wondering when guys win their first tournament do they feel like you're pressing a little bit to get that second? Lot of guys seem to say that after they win their first, all right, I need to get my second right away, almost like you want to validate your first win. Do you feel that, have you felt that way at all? BRENDON TODD: I think what happens to a lot of us is once you find out you can win, you expect yourself to do it again. So, I think your expectations are -- that might make you press or whatever it is. More or less, you don't have much patience with yourself when you're playing. You get near the lead you hope to go get the lead and end up with the trophy. For me in the last year I've had a lot better formula before I got my first win so sort of propelled me to keep playing well. I would love to get my second win as soon as I can and, you know, I've had a couple chances over the last year but haven't held the lead I don't think on Sunday at any point. I'm still waiting for that opportunity. Q. Was there ever a point where you felt a little frustration that you hadn't got it yet in the last year or have you been able to stay patient? BRENDON TODD: I've been able to stay patient. You know, you see your friends win which is great but you know how hard it is to win out here. Every year the fields get better, every week they get better. It's just -- it's a very competitive game right now and, you know, I'm just happy to be back defending this week. Q. Can you go to specifics about how much more difficult or easier it will play with week with the course conditions, will it be longer because of the rain? BRENDON TODD: It will be a lot longer. The long holes will be true par 4, like 15. A good portion of the field is going to be bringing a hybrid or 3-iron to that green. Almost like a par 4 1/2. The thing I've noticed on Tour over the years is when it gets soft it seems to bring more guys into the mix. It's not like you're going to see me and Mike Weir on top of the leaderboard on Sunday in a week where the golf course is under water. We like to drive the ball, lower, down the middle, chase it out there and use our wedges and short game to win. When it gets soft it seems to bring the longer players in. If they miss a fairway, it stays there. Lot of birdie chances. It's going to be a very competitive fight this week. You're going to see a hundred guys under par and you're probably to get some of the bombers up there near the top of the board. Q. Last year really fit your game because of the scrambling. BRENDON TODD: It did. I usually like Texas because it's dry and windy and you can -- it's not at all about length, it's about positioning the ball and getting it done with your short game. Whenever it rains, it tends to be about ball-striking. Q. You were talking about seeing your friends do well obviously last week. I assume with Chris, did you get a chance to talk to him at all? BRENDON TODD: I talked to him yesterday. He was obviously really excited. It's funny, I was at his birthday party the weekend before and talking about all his professional wins. He said a tap-in to win a tournament. He never made a putt.  He ended up with a 7-footer. He made it. The guy is incredible. He just kind of dreams it up and it happens. He's one of those talented players. He's had a lot of success, very -- I saw something, he's one of the most unassuming talents out here. He's one of those underrated players on the Tour for sure. He proved that again last week. Q. In a few minutes they're going to bring in Justin Thomas in here, young, up and comer, one of several kind of Jordan's big buddy foil, prank each other. What can you tell us about Justin as a player and as a person from what you've seen from being around him this season? BRENDON TODD: Justin is obviously a great player. We all know that. I was paired with him at the John Deere two summers ago. I was impressed by his game. He was maybe 20 years old at the time or 19., still in college. Wasn't sure if he was going to return for another season. And he drove it long. He expected a lot of himself. So I haven't been surprised to see how well he's done out here so far and this season he really seems to have polished his game where when he gets -- he gets it going he's able to shoot 7, 8, 9-under par on top courses. He hasn't figured out how to control his emotions and energy and get it done on Sunday. He's already had a few great opportunities and experiences that are going to -- he'll draw on sooner and probably get a win here in the next year or so. Q. Couple of questions little off topic. Where was the birthday party? BRENDON TODD: Chris's house in Atlanta. Q. The one he's about to close on? BRENDON TODD: The one he's selling. Q. I was wondering about your MLB.com, how long have you been sponsored by them, what does that entail and does that make you likely to try to catch the Rangers and Red Sox week? BRENDON TODD: It's been about a week so it's a new deal and they're a great company MLB.com. They started all the websites for all the teams over the last ten years. They've done the live feed of the games and subscriptions. I think they're going to run PGATour.Live coming up this summer. Pretty impressive technology company. They just expect me to represent their brand well and kind of spread the word about what they're doing for PGA TOUR and for Major League Baseball and I would love to go to the game this weekend but I do have a 7 month old boy at home. It's tough to catch a night game with him right now. Q. Are you a Pirates fan, Braves fan, what? BRENDON TODD: I'm kind of split but I call myself more of a Braves fan now. I've lived in Georgia for 11 years now. Actually Atlanta for 8. And even though I grew up hating the Braves because they beat down the Pirates in 1991, I've forgiven them. They're the team I pull for. Q. You mentioned your 7 month old. How has life changed? What would be the funniest story from fatherhood that you've had so far? Any come out? BRENDON TODD: Oh, man. I mean kids are constant entertainment and lots of fun. I think probably one of the highlights for us was having him at the par 3 contest at the Masters. I don't know if you caught any of that coverage. He was on the 9th tee box standing up and just stomping his foot on the tee and just having a big time and it was just one of the greatest two hours I ever spent with him. I carried him between every shot. He didn't cry once. He didn't even nap or eat. He was just thoroughly entertained. It was just a blast. Q. Speaking of Augusta, Brendon obviously this win got you a ticket there. What was that whole experience like just that week and obviously living in Georgia like you said for the last ten years, finally getting there and playing? BRENDON TODD: It was -- the experience you want to have. You want to get to go to your first Masters, experience everything. You want to play the practice rounds, hang out in the clubhouse, play in front of those galleries, hit the shots you've seen everybody hit on TV over the years and I tried them all, you know. I tried 151 of them. Kind of beat me up my first the time through. It was a good experience. Next time I go I'm sure I'll play a lot better. ROYCE THOMPSON: Anymore questions? Q. Brendon, talking about that you'd rather have a fast, dry track. When you have a course like this, does it necessarily play to your strengths? Is it more of a mental challenge for you to get through and it's like, "All right, I'm here, I'm going to defend any"? BRENDON TODD: Little bit. I think initially it's more -- I think like today seeing the course the way it was, you have to kind of go over that mental hurdle, "This is not going to play anything like it did the last two years when I played well." Once you get past that you're teeing it up against 150 guys like do you every other week and trying to play your best. I know what I can do to win and just a matter of going out there and doing it. You know, it's going to come down to me hitting it in the fairway, still, because I've got to play from the fairway now because otherwise I'll have to lay up on every hole and then I've got to make a whole boat load of putts again. ROYCE THOMPSON: Thank you for joining us, Brendon. Good luck this week. BRENDON TODD: Thanks. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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