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SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 24, 2015

Brett Stegmaier

Las Vegas, Nevada

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We'd like to welcome Brett Stegmaier into the interview room at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. You got your day started finishing your second round this morning. Just start talking us through the day, finishing that round, and then keeping yourself up there.

BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, it was a little weird. I had a 14-footer for birdie to start the day. Probably never done that in my golf career, start with a putt. Made a good two-putt, made a really good swing on 8, flew the green, wrong club, made bogey. Good up-and-down for par on 9. Started the day tied for the lead and then played really solid today. It played a little tougher so played a little more conservatively, and certainly happy to make four birdies and one bogey and be in the lead, I think.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: So first time in the lead. What's your mindset going into tomorrow?

BRETT STEGMAIER: Just do the same things, not really look at leaderboards until maybe the last three holes. Do my preparation like I've done every day for the last -- I've played really well the last two months, been doing the same things, just try and read the greens well. I feel like if I read the greens well, I'll play well. That's the main goal tomorrow.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: You were in a similar position in a Web.com TOUR event just a few months ago. How do you think that experience is going to help you going into tomorrow?

BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, it's been huge this week. Really I've been nervous, obviously, but I feel really comfortable in the position I'm in, just because -- I had a chance to win three of the four finals events, so the more you're in that spot, the more comfortable you feel, and that's been huge this week. I feel like I belong.

Q. How is your energy level right now?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, I mean, when you have the adrenaline going, you certainly -- I mean, I could go another 18 for sure. I feel like I'm in decent shape, not as good a shape as some of the other guys out here, but try and get a good night's sleep and be ready to go tomorrow afternoon.

Q. Is a good night's sleep your plan for the evening?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, I'll probably need --

Q. What time did you get to the course today?
BRETT STEGMAIER: I think I got here at 6:30, started at 8:00.

Q. So you will get a good night's sleep?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, I'll probably take some Ny-Quil to fall asleep. I don't sleep that well as is, so I'm sure I'll be quite nervous tonight. Yeah, I'll need some help falling asleep.

Q. You made birdie at 16. There were, I think, 45 birdies today carded on that hole. Could you describe what it's like playing that hole and the way it played today and how you were able to have success if you recall?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, it's basically a tough par-4 because it's downwind and firm. I hit 8-iron in yesterday and made eagle. Missed the fairway the first day and today, chipped out to a good yardage today and made a 15-footer for birdie. If you hit a good drive there, it's only going to be a mid-iron at most.

Q. How challenging is the pin placement on 18?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Where I was, I only had 100 yards. There was a backstop. I was trying to hit it off the backstop but just pulled it a little bit, and it spun. I hit it solid so it spun. But if you miss the fairway there with that pin -- I think Morgan kind of went long and had almost an impossible putt. I was fortunate to hit a good drive and had a pretty easy shot there.

Q. A lot of guys mentioned the course was a lot tougher today than it was yesterday. Did you notice the greens firming up today out there, and was this the toughest it played for you so far?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, for sure. Even this morning I hit the wrong club on 8, the par-3. I thought it was going to be softer and it was pretty firm, and then this afternoon they were definitely firmer. I hit a lot of wedges in, but even with those, with the right pins, I like to draw it, so it was tough to get it close. I had a lot of 30-footers. Scores certainly weren't that low today, which I think you can attribute to the firmness of the greens.

Q. And you mentioned yesterday evening, until that strong stretch at the end that you were struggling to keep your Web.com card and you kind of again played well starting this year. Can you attribute that to anything in particular, just your strong play at the end of last season going into this year?
BRETT STEGMAIER: Yeah, I feel like the last two years I've done lot of really good work with my coach, Jeff Leishman, by the way, and it just wasn't happening this year. Wasn't playing good, got really impatient. Just made a slight setup change in the final regular season event in Portland and played really well there and got a ton of confidence from that. My back was against the wall; I had to play good. I carried it over into Fort Wayne and Charlotte and then just kept it rolling. Probably didn't putt my best in that stretch of finals events, but just really trying to trust my reads this week, and that's made a huge difference.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Thank you so much for your time.

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