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THE RSM CLASSIC

November 19, 2015

David Hearn

Sea Island, Georgia

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome David Hearn into the interview room here. 6-under par 64 to start RSM Classic. David, if we could get some comments on a great start.

DAVID HEARN: Yeah, thank you. I played really solid today obviously. Hit a lot of really, really nice iron shots and gave myself a lot of chances today.

So always feels good getting off to a good start. I know I have to go over to the Plantation side tomorrow and post another good one to stay in the mix. I can't be happier with where I am at. A lot of golf to go, but I feel good.

THE MODERATOR: Making your fifth start of the season, assess how the fall has been for you.

DAVID HEARN: Yeah, it's been a bit hit and miss for me. Had a couple solid finishes but haven't really played great yet. Mixed it up this week and went back to an older set of irons and shafts?

I would say hitting my approach shots today it was it the best I had hit it the fall series. I am real happy with the way I'm hitting my iron shots now. I gave myself a lot of chances today, and I fortunate to see a few putts go in.

I really like the way I'm getting the ball close to the hole. We were fortunate today to not have a lot of wind and little bit of a soft golf course, so we were able to be a little bit more aggressive coming into those flags.

We'll see the what the weather does tomorrow, but very lucky today with what it looked like it might have been.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I am sure you absolutely hate answering these questions, but as the ban on anchoring kind of looms - this is the last event - have you put any thought into what you might do going forward?
DAVID HEARN: They're banning putters? (Laughter.)

Q. Banning big bellies.
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, I know, I know. I'm just kidding.

Obviously I put a lot of thought into it. Fortunately for me I putted on tour when I first got on in '05 with a short putter. It's something I have done at a high level.

I obviously prefer to putt the way am right now, but I am just going to enjoy it this week. It's the last week I will be putting with it. I putted last weekend actually with a short one in Mexico and felt fine.

I'm confident in my transition, but only time will tell. For now I'm just going to enjoy it this week and see if I can make a few putts and take the anchored putter out on top.

Q. (No microphone.)
DAVID HEARN: Well, that's an interesting question. (Laughter.) I feel like -- I just didn't feel good with the way I was putting last week, but I feel good right now.

Funny, like anything, it's an equipment choice. Sometimes it feels good and sometimes doesn't. Just felt better the other way.

Q. Except for last year you've got a history of quick starts at this tournament. Anything to that?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah. Actually, I just enjoy playing this golf course. I think it suits my game pretty well. Tee-to-green I'm usually pretty consistent. I am kind of a plodder, and I feel like it just sets up well for me.

I hadn't really noticed that I got off to great starts at this tournament, but if I have, that's great. I just enjoy playing this golf course. I think that's probably why I've had some good rounds around here.

Q. Finally, you worked hard to get on this tour. Last five years have been pretty solid. You have made the playoffs every year and been able to keep your card. What's the missing element? What do you need to do to go from that consistent mid-range guy on the list to somebody winning big tournaments?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, I feel like my whole year all the way back to when I was a junior golfer I have been a steady process kind of guy. Just gotten a little bit better each year.

I think that's kind of what's pulled me along throughout my career. I was on the Web.com for a few years, and as long as I felt like I was getting better I knew I was getting closer to where I needed to be. I have had a few chances on tour now to win tournaments and been in the mix on Sunday.

The more times I give myself these opportunities the better I'm going to be for it and I'm going to win a few golf tournaments. So for me, it's a matter of the continued experience and opportunity and putting myself in those positions.

Obviously I don't see myself as a Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors, but he won 18 majors and finished second and third a heck of a lot more than that. You have to put yourself in those positions to be able to win tournaments, and I feel like I am getting better at doing that.

I see myself being a good player into my 40s and continuing to be competitive out here.

Q. How comfortable do you feel with the Plantation course compared to Sea Side?
DAVID HEARN: Obviously I really haven't seen it much before. I played it on Tuesday and didn't get all the holes in. I got a chance to see them all. Walked them all.

It's definitely a little bit different character and feel to the one we play over at Sea Side, but I don't think -- as far as conditions go, the greens are pretty much the same on both sides.

You know, it's really just going to boil down to continuing to hit good shots regardless of what side I'm on and give myself lots of birdie opportunities.

Q. Did you feel the need to go lower today just knowing you had mote knowledge of the Sea Side course?
DAVID HEARN: No, not really. The only guys that really have an advantage this week are the guys this live here in Sea Island. I don't feel that far behind anyone else that's playing here this week.

I certainly didn't feel like there was a necessity to go that low today. Just I wanted to play well to get in contention.

Q. When you went with the short putter last week, was it conventional? Regular? Some of the guys that have anchored have gone to the Kuchar arm lock deal. Have you been tinkering with different methods?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, I've tried a bunch of different stuff. For now I am just sort of putting cross-handed. Nothing too complicated. Just a matter of getting your speed down and getting comfortable with the feel.

Putting is pretty simple: Speed and direction. As long as your speed is good and your ball is going off that line, doesn't matter what you're putting with. It's going to go in the hole.

Q. What went into the iron switch this week?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, I just wasn't -- I didn't feel like I was getting the ball close enough to the hole. You know, sometimes you make good swings and don't see the results.

Going back to something you're comfortable with, that's kind of what I did.

Q. What's your history with anchoring? Why did you start and how long ago?
DAVID HEARN: I don't know. I don't want to get into this today. I mean, I'm just trying to compete this week. Like I say, I'm just going to enjoy it for the rest of the week.

I don't think that's the story here today.

Q. The guys who played Sea Side today with almost no wind, going over to Plantation the wind is going to kick up tomorrow. Any bit of an edge that you're going to go to a little bit more of a secluded course tomorrow while the guys on Sea Side are going to get definitely more wind?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, I don't -- like I say, I don't have a lot of experience on the Plantation side, so I'm not sure how the wind really acts over there.

I don't think the courses are that far apart to where the wind is going to make that big of a difference either side you're on.

The Plantation is a bit more tree lined. That can play tricks with the way you hit shots into the wind, too. On the Plantation side the greens are about half the size as they are on Sea Side.

I think when the winds get up tomorrow, I don't see that one side or the other is going to play that much of an advantage in terms of the difficulty.

Big winds around here are a challenge no matter what.

Q. You played 30 events last season on tour. Actually fewer events in the fall than you're going to this year. Is that the pace you want to keep?
DAVID HEARN: Yeah, last year at this time our son was born so I wasn't here in Sea Island. Wish I could have been.

Yeah, 30 was probably a couple more than I would've liked unless I got all the way to TOUR Championship. I set out the schedule pretty similarly every year. I look in groups of west coast and Florida swing and beyond that.

Then there are a few curve balls that get thrown at you in the summer based on how many majors you qualify for and all that. Ended up qualifying for all three majors in the summer last year, so I think I ended up playing a couple more events than I have historically.

It was a good problem to have.

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