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FRYS.COM OPEN

October 14, 2015

Steven Bowditch

Napa, California

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Steven Bowditch to the interview room here at the Frys.com Open after a runner-up here last year, and then went on to have one of your strongest seasons.

You just got back from Korea where you represented the international team at the Presidents Cup. Get us started reflecting on this last year going into this season.

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, this is obviously where my year began last year, as did everyone. But it sort of put me in a really good spot.

I love coming back here. I love the golf course. Obviously whatever you want to call them, the next few events, the start of the FedExCup, I guess, there is actually a lot more emphasis on it than what there used to be. I think it's very important to get off to a good start going into Christmas.

I think that's definitely starting to get on the guy's mind a little more. They don't want to be behind the eight ball to start the 2016 PGA season. So I think one of the big reasons you're starting to see these guys, the Rorys and the Justins and all these, they want to get off to good starts.

They been playing well over the summer. Just finished off the playoffs and guys are still in form. They haven't had a chance to really have a break.

A lot of them are starting to figure, like myself, I might as well keep rolling while the iron is hot, I guess.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Tell us about all the fun stuff you did during the off-season, which would've been Monday and Tuesday for you.
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, it was a ten-hour flight from Korea. No, yeah, it was a great couple of weeks over there, ten days over there. Unfortunately we didn't get the win, but it was an experience that I'll never forget.

The guys, the teammates, Captain Nick, the assistant captains, all the guys from top bottom were a great bunch of guys. It was an honor and privilege to be able to play on this international team.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Well, actually saved time. I left on Monday afternoon and arrived here midday Monday. So, yeah, it was quite a quick trip I guess. Went back in time.

Q. How much will you play in the fall?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I'm playing a lot. I'm playing next week as well. I'll play CIMB, HSBC, Australian Open, Australian PGA, and finish up in Sun City.

Q. As far as Presidents Cup and your play there, is there anything that told you, that would help you moving forward?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah. I've never felt intense pressure like there was. That's something that you can't prepare for. Everyone talks about it and the captains talk about it. Until you experience it, it's whole different beast and level, and one that I can use for the rest my career knowing that that's basically the highest echelon in how we play golf.

Not playing for yourself, playing for your country and playing for the international team, I don't think there will be any more pressure that I will ever feel than I did that week. I think I can definitely use that moving forward.

You learn about yourself. That's all you can do. It can't be taught to you. You got to understand your dos and don'ts under the gun under that type of immense pressure. I'll definitely use that and take that forward and know what to do with it if it ever happens again.

This week, for instance, if I start really getting under the gun, if I'm in contention on Sunday, know that I can really look back. I know the further point of pressure and what I do at that point. You just sort of keep stages back down and learn about yourself and how you react under those certain situations.

Q. Sorry about the hard-hitting stuff, those photos in the team room, did you know ahead of time it was going to be in there, the one of you and Leish I think when you were about 14?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, we had an idea. They asked us to send some photos. I wasn't sure what they were going to do. It was pretty neat to walk around each table and check out where guys come from. You know, good conversation starter with guys you don't know.

Q. What was the story behind that one?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Leash and I?

Q. Yeah.
STEVEN BOWDITCH: I'm pretty sure we were playing Hickson. (Ph.) That was Australia. I think it was in western Australia. It was basically a national event. We were on the team together. I think Michealson was in there as well. Rick Kulacz. Few guys.

But, yeah, it was good to see. It was good to look back on that and have a chitchat there and have a few beers and chat about those days and where we're sitting right now together.

Q. You guys were drinking in the team room?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Not a chance.

Q. You talk about the nice start at Frys and winning in Dallas, but there was a good stretch there starting in Phoenix where it was weekends off for a pretty long time. What allows you to switch it and become on again?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: I'm not real sure. It's just golf, I guess. I guess you just sort of get -- I guess my issue is -- issue, so to speak, is self-inflicted. I play a lot of golf. I think I'm going to be running about 38, 39 events this year, so I guess I tend to get flat lined a little bit and don't put enough emphasis on golf courses I shouldn't be playing and don't suit me and just go out and go through the motions.

I think I'm learning a little more. Starting to pick a choose a little more that suits me, so hopefully that stuff doesn't happen again.

But I am sure it will. It's golf too. Some days putts don't go in. I do think it is a lot of it me playing too much and not playing the right events or the right timing, not giving myself a break.

Next year I think I've got a schedule down that will suit me a little better and hopefully won't make those mistakes again.

Probably just 38.

Q. How do you pare your schedule when your success is giving you more events that you're able to get into, like team events, which takes up more time?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, it's definitely hard. You tend to see the guys and that reach the top 30 that aren't quite superstars that have a really good year, they do find it hard to get back to that 30.

Because of that change of schedule, they're playing the bigger events. I think a little bit to do with that is they -- they're not playing the events they have done well in because they're basically swapping them for the big events.

I think that's where I'm going to have to work out with myself and my team how we can still incorporate the events that I really like and the ones that I really don't like.

So if I back it down to 30 events a year, really concentrate on the ones that I do play well in that I have success in and that I like, and then add in the new events that I haven't played before.

You know, you're obviously going to play the big events, but obviously a lot harder to do well in them. It's a balance, I guess.

Q. And knowing that you probably were playing too much, why did you keep doing that? Why has it been so hard for you to take that week or two off?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: I just enjoy playing golf. I'll go home and play golf, so I figured if I'm at home playing golf, I might as well be out here trying to play for $1 million.

Yeah, I don't know. It's just something that I enjoy doing so it's kind of hard. Amanda, my wife, she loves to travel too and we don't have any family, so it's not that big a deal for us. It's pretty easy. It's just something we've got to get better a little bit at.

But I'm still not going to back it down to 21, 22 events. I also struggle -- I've never come off a week off or two weeks off and played well either. Ever. So normally takes me a couple weeks. If I've got a tournament in mind, still takes me a couple weeks to I guess peak if that's what you want to call it, whereas a lot of guys can step in the week before and play.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN BOWDITCH: It would be. I find if I have more than a week off, if I have probably ten days, anymore than -- basically every week off I had it'll take me about two to three weeks to get back to the stage where I feel comfortable.

That's sort of a big reason why I don't take that much time off.

Q. A lot of the guys in the field this week are coming off the Web.com finals, and some of these guys don't have the greatest status and sort of dependant on how they play this week and the coming weeks. Can you remember in your own career what it's like to play with that kind of pressure to try to establish a foothold on the PGA TOUR?
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, it's tough. You know, I did it for basically '10, '11, '12, basically there. I was always trying to get my card back. I think one year there I was between first and fourth alternate about seven times for that year.

It's tough. I mean, it's one of those ones that everyone, wow, you got your PGA TOUR card. Well, yeah you do and that's an incredible accomplishment, but it's even tougher to keep it that first year out. To be honest, that's the toughest part, is to keep your tour card the first year out.

It's getting harder and harder now. They have implemented the FedExCup here for the fall. It's harder to get in golf events. More guys want to play. There is a lot more emphasis on playing well. So I mean, it's getting cutthroat. The money is getting more. Pressure is higher.

You've just got to -- unfortunately, there is no way to really learn apart from being right in the middle of it. It is what it is. Not really much you can say or do. Just got to be in the middle of it and understand it for yourself and learn about yourself when those situations come.

For these guys, the next four weeks are very important for the rest of their year.

Q. Was there a moment in one of these fall tournaments that you felt like you proved yourself or was critical for you going forward, you won enough money or played well enough to say...
STEVEN BOWDITCH: This event last year was really I felt nearly a turning -- not a turning point, but had a major impact on the rest of my year. I knew I had my tour card. I could basically play the rest of the year without worrying. I only needed one more finish and I was going to be safe to get into the playoffs.

So I think there is definitely something to be said about getting off to a -- working out realistic, high target goal for this fall series. It can really make 2016, as a calendar year, a lot less intense and enjoy it a lot more. You really get to reset as well.

Used to be different. Used to be January 1, it's time to go. You go all the way through until whenever. End of August. Now you got six weeks and you can learn about yourself or how to deal -- what did I do wrong and what did I do good? How do the guys play compared to how they played on Nationwide, all that, on Web.com. You have time to assess, which we really didn't have.

You can actually use this fall. It can really help you out.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN BOWDITCH: I have not, no. Not really. Not when you see the scores I've shot qualifying. It's not weird at all. You can actually understand. (Laughter.)

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I try.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah. That's the one. Yeah, I played an Open now, and -- yeah, haven't played a U.S. Open. Couple PGAs and a Masters. Not good enough. Pretty simple. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time.

Thanks guys. Appreciate it.

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