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THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 5, 2015

Robert Streb

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA

Q. Take me through, you were able to play your way into the playoff. What exactly happened?
ROBERT STREB: I didn't really intend to break the putter, and honestly was thinking if I could just hang in there, even par the rest of the way out, I was doing pretty good with a wedge for a putter. But it panned out and didn't hit my best shot there, and those guys made two good putts. It turned out better than I thought.

Q. How did the putter exactly break?
ROBERT STREB: Well, I meant to toss it lightly next to my bag, so he's kind of standing up on it, and it didn't make it far enough, hit the little bottom barrel, bounced, and the head went flying, and it's like, uh-oh, I'm in trouble.

Q. Was it almost kind of surreal that you shoot 32 on the back nine using your wedge? You made, what was it, a 26-footer and ended up making five birdies with the wedge?
ROBERT STREB: Yeah, very surprised, but it worked out, I guess.

Q. What was your mindset, I guess, using the wedge? How were you able to roll in that many?
ROBERT STREB: We tried to pick the one with the straightest, which is we thought my 56-degree, and just tried to hit it in the middle of the ball as best I could. 17 was a little mishap, but other than that, I rolled it really good.

Q. You've already won so far this season, came close this week. What's the state of your game, just a couple weeks away from the Open Championship?
ROBERT STREB: It's been pretty good. I finally hit the ball good this week. I felt like I've been fighting it a little bit and scoring well, so it kind of went well this week and hopefully I can carry it over the next couple weeks.

Q. I know the outcome of the playoff wasn't what you were looking for, but after you broke the putter on the 9th did you think you'd still have a chance to win this title?
ROBERT STREB: I was just trying to stay where I was and it worked out really well, just didn't hit the green there in the playoff and those guys holed two great putts.

Q. How about the week overall at the Greenbrier?
ROBERT STREB: It was a great week. I felt like I hit it well, which has been a little bit of a change, so I feel like my game is in great shape.

Q. Is this the first time that's happened with the putter in competition?
ROBERT STREB: No, I've broken that one a couple times leaning over to pick up a ball, but luckily they were practice rounds. I haven't had it in competition, and I wouldn't say I've practiced with the wedge a lot, but it worked out okay.

Q. What was it like when you started to roll those in and made the 30-footer with the wedge?
ROBERT STREB: I was very surprised. I was just trying to get it close to the hole, and a couple of them went my way.

Q. How would you sum up the week here?
ROBERT STREB: It was a great week. You know, it's too bad the weather wasn't a little bit better, but the course is in great shape, and everything went pretty smooth.

Q. You got into a four-man playoff, lost on the first playoff hole, but the real story of the day was the fact that you were putting with a wedge. Tell us exactly what happened and why you had to use that wedge.
ROBERT STREB: I missed my putt on 9 and lightly -- meant to lightly land it next to the bag, and it didn't make it quite far enough, hit the bottom of the bag and the head flew off, so I was like, huh, that's not good. We figured we'd just try to hit it as close as we could the rest of the day and took the 56-degree because we thought it had the straightest edge, and it worked out pretty good.

Q. Has that ever happened to you before in competition?
ROBERT STREB: No that was a first.

Q. How about the fact that you started reigning in birdie putts. You had five birdie putts with the wedge on the back nine. Were you trying to make them or just trying to get them close?
ROBERT STREB: Trying to get them close. I figured if I could hold steady at 10-under par I was going to be pretty happy, and I made a few coming in, and it worked out good.

Q. You lost in the playoff, missed the green on the first playoff hole, the 18th hole. Can you take some positives out of this week, especially the way things turned out on the final day?
ROBERT STREB: Yeah, I felt like I was hitting it well all week and leaving some shots out there. Didn't hit my best one there on 18, but they holed two great putts, but it's still a good week, and hopefully the next two weeks I can keep it going.

Q. What's the technique with a wedge? Is it any different than using a putter?
ROBERT STREB: Just trying to hit the middle of the ball with the blade of the wedge. That was all I was trying to do, hoping I got the speed right.

Q. And you had to clear your mind for the playoff. You got the putter back?
ROBERT STREB: Yeah, just didn't hit a great shot there, overcooked it a little bit, just trying to hit the same one I hit in regulation and missed the green, and those guys holed two good putts, so nothing you can do about it.

Q. Does part of you say, I mean, this is terrific based on what I had to go through on the back nine?
ROBERT STREB: Yes, this far exceeded my expectations, so really happy about it. The playoff, I wish it could have gone a little differently, but those guys made two great birdies.

Q. Your dad played at Virginia Tech?
ROBERT STREB: He did.

Q. So have you spent time in this area at all?
ROBERT STREB: A little bit. My mom's cousin is part of the Rod and Gun Club over in Bath County, Virginia. We went there a couple years ago. It was a lot of fun. We like it here.

Q. Do you feel like it was sort of just bum luck in terms of the breaking, or do you feel like you had some responsibility in breaking that club?
ROBERT STREB: That was bad luck. I did not mean to do that.

Q. How soft was it, just a little tiny toss?
ROBERT STREB: Yeah, it was probably a little too far, probably from here to the pole, but it hit the bottom of the bag solid and bounced and didn't think anything of it, and then the head moved about five feet, and I'm like, oh, boy, I'm in trouble.
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