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FRYS.COM OPEN

October 18, 2015

Emiliano Grillo

Napa, California

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome the winner of the 2015 Frys.com Open Emiliano Grillo.

Congratulations on your first career PGA TOUR victory and first start as a rookie on the PGA TOUR.

Just a few comments on how it feels. Has it set in yet?

EMILIANO GRILLO: Not really. There is no words to put in to explain this. This is the greatest moment of my life golf-wise.

It's been incredible journey in the last five weeks. Five weeks ago I knew I was going to be a member of the PGA TOUR, and that just give me a -- you know, I came in second. Three-putt on the last hole and I didn't care. I was a PGA TOUR member.

You know, today on that first putt on the playoff, on the first hole, I didn't care as much as the one in Puerto Rico because I was a member of the PGA TOUR. That's all.

I had a great opportunity. I was down a little bit, but I got to the tee and I was able to get it back.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. On the first playoff hole, first putt for birdie, what did you see on that putt?
EMILIANO GRILLO: It was a little bit of right to left break. Just inch -- not even inside of the hole, you know, middle right of the hole. I hit a perfect putt.

I don't know why it didn't go in.

Q. What does this championship mean to you being so young, being a rookie out here on the PGA TOUR?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah, means everything. They said the word "Masters" twice today. You see this? That is what I'm going to do ever single time you say "Masters."

It's unbelievable. Can everybody say? (Laughter.)

Q. Curious, your bunker shot on 18 on the second playoff hole, what did that leave you in, what kind of angle and club?
EMILIANO GRILLO: I could have hit a 3-iron if I wanted there. We were trying to hit a -- you know, exact yardage, we had 80 -- we had 78 yards on the 72th hole. It was kind of an odd distance. The greens very hard.

So we wanted to lay up to 100, 110 yards so we can hit a kind of full shot. I didn't hit it clean, so we had 136 yards from the first cut with perfect shot from there. I don't know where it landed, but for sure it didn't landed on the green.

It was a great shot.

Q. (Question and answer in Spanish.)
EMILIANO GRILLO: She ask me about the bunker shot on 10. You know, she asked me if I thought it was going to be able to win with that bunker shot.

I said yes. It was a big bonus. I hit the flag. Can everyone remember the shot that Jordan hit when he won the John Deere? He kind of hit the flag and went straight down.

It was big bonus and kept me going and gave me some very, very good momentum in the end. Thanks to that I was able to hold on on the back nine.

Q. Two questions: What about the Masters that you sort of were beaming at the mention of it? Did you watch a lot as a kid? What's the history of that? And did you ever find Rory and apologize for yesterday?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah, I wasn't able to find him. I almost actually run a few fairways across to apologize to him. I didn't want to be the guy who almost hit Rory McIlroy this week.

Kind of wanted to have this trophy and everybody to know me because I have the trophy and not because I almost hit him. Yeah, it's going to be a great experience. I can tell you pretty much every single shot that was on TV since I was a little kid, from like '97 since Tiger made that putt.

But it's great just thinking about it. I just can't wait to get to that week.

Q. Can you walk us through the emotions missing a short put on the first hole in the playoff and then some time to think about it going back to the tee.
EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah, I hit a perfect putt. It of course remind me a little bit of the one in Puerto Rico. The difference between that one and the one in Puerto Rico is this one I hit good. I don't know what happened. Felt like I hit it good and didn't go in.

I stayed positive. I learned a lot from the one in Puerto Rico. My caddie asked me was I 100% and I said yes. I want to win it. You know how they say it, third time is charm.

Yeah, it was very tough going back to the tee, I'll tell you that. I'm going to tell you something that I didn't tell anybody. Only my wife knows. I had nightmares for a week about that putt in Puerto Rico. I couldn't sleep for a week. It was one of the most painful times of my life, that's for sure.

Yeah, today I didn't care that much because I was a member of the PGA TOUR already. To actually become a member of the PGA TOUR, there is a big difference in that.

Q. Were you surprised by Kevin's play for his second shot in the second playoff hole? Secondly, when you were you finally able to take a sigh of relief and think you had it in the bag?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Well, I play with him on Saturday. I think he hit driver off the deck once and hit it perfectly. I wasn't surprised. It's tough play going in a playoff. It's hard to see. I kind of understand why he was playing driver. He wanted to lay up pretty close to the green or on the green and then 2-putt or maybe an easy up and down for the 4.

It could have gone pretty well for him. But, you know, unlucky for him didn't go well and he pulled it and wasn't able to make a 5.

But I was a little bit shock about that.

Q. We noticed on Twitter that Jordan Spieth sent a congratulations to you. Seemed like he was genuinely excited. You guys played a lot against each other as juniors. Feel like you're catching up a little bit now?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Well, I'm definitely closer. I need what, five more wins? Two majors? There is a long way. Yeah, he's way up there. I mean, what is he, No. 1? No. 2? I mean, he's top ranked in the world. That says it all.

There is a long way. I'm not even halfway. I need five more wins, two majors. He won the Masters and I'm going to play it for the first time. I'm working on it. I'm really working on it. I been doing everything I can with my team. We been looking everywhere just to improve and get there.

Q. (No microphone.)
EMILIANO GRILLO: Well, he better do it. We been friends since we were 14, so, yeah, we play practice round at PGA Championship and I told him, Hey, go get your next one. He goes like, Oh. Go get your first one.

I'm like, Yeah, I should do that. I should definitely do that. He's a good guy. He's a very good friend of mine. I'm just excited to be here and to be able to play with him and see how he played, how he practiced.

I was able to do for nine holes on the PGA Championship and it was great.

Q. (No microphone.)
EMILIANO GRILLO: Well, I can gets used to this. I mean, it's great. Holding two trophies in three weeks, it's great. Just beginning of the year and it's nice to have -- to be on top of the FedExCup. That's awesome. I can say that I was on top of the FedExCup for at least once in my life.

Yeah, it's interesting. I like it. I enjoy it. I found maybe a little trick that I can enjoy being in the moment, enjoy being under the pressure. I just tell to myself, This is what I been practicing for my whole life. I want to be here.

So enjoy it. Don't get nervous. If you're nervous, enjoy being nervous and enjoy the pressure and just give your best.

Q. Just curious how you got over the near miss in Puerto Rico. You said you had nightmares. How did you put that behind you?
EMILIANO GRILLO: I didn't. I think the first time that I felt a relief was on the second week of the finals, the Web.com finals. That's been stuck in my head. It's going to be there forever, I can tell you that.

Not the one today. I got the trophy. That one, it was the biggest chance I ever had my life and I didn't take advantage of it. That's it, and now I'm enjoying this beautiful trophy that gets me into the Masters.

You know, that's going to be just history.

Q. Two questions: How long have you been working with PePe as your caddie?
EMILIANO GRILLO: We just finish a year like a month -- not even a month, two weeks ago. I started with him at the Dunhill Links last year. It's been great. My career just went up since we started.

He loves golf. He loves caddying for me. He believes in me. He's said it a bunch of times. Once somebody who really likes and enjoys golf and is a professional, and somebody that's a professional says that you got the talent to be up there, it makes me believe. That's something pretty big.

Q. Secondly, winning at the Web.Com Tour Championship two weeks ago, how much of a help do you think that was, even though this is a new season, to come off a win and still be in good form?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah, it's great. Most important than the win was the putt on the last hole. Made me believe that I can hole putts on the last hole. You know, I did it then; did it twice today on the last hole basically.

You know, makes you believe you can do it. That's huge.

Q. (No microphone.)
EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah. It was exactly the same putt that I had a couple weeks ago. The difference was that one was a bit slower up the hill and this one pretty flat. Tiny down the hill. So it was pretty much the same break.

I just saw it all the way going into the hole. They were both perfect.

Q. You're part of a pretty good crop out of the 2011 class. How much do you keep tabs on those guys and sort of follow their success? What does it mean to you to kind of be part of that group now?
EMILIANO GRILLO: Well, yeah, it's nice. Always knew that somebody was going to get there. Always felt that Jordan was going to get there.

But it's great to see some other guys your age that I've played before with, see them winning or having a chance. Winning the Masters, winning the U.S. Open, it's something great. It makes you believe you can do it.

I mean, basically the only player that I look up is Jordan. I played a lot with him. He's my age. He's a bit younger than me. Makes you think, If he can do it, I can do it. That's been what -- that's been my thought in the last year, two years. You know, he got to the TOUR Championship on his first year with no status.

You know, now I do have my status. I do you have a win, so I can get there. I will have chance to play the majors next year, so that's going to give me the chance.

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