	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2016

Lee McCoy

Palm Harbor, Florida

Q. You got it going. There's not 5 birdies on this golf course and you had five in a row.
LEE MCCOY: You know, I've been complaining all week at home, every time I get home I felt like I played well. You know, I hit my irons great, drove it well. I didn't have any opportunities. It seemed like I had an opportunity on 12, 13 holes today and it was a good day to get the putter going. Just seemed to pile up at the right time.

Q. I got to ask you, being an amateur, you're a senior now at Georgia, All-American. You done all this stuff.
Are you or have you thought about when you might turn pro or do the amateur circuit this summer?

LEE MCCOY: As far as I know I'm turning pro after the NCAA, first week in May. That would be unless I make the Palmer Cup team and can't get any sponsor exemptions before that.

That's a possible scenario I've thought about. More than likely, I'll be turning right after NCAA.

Q. What are your thoughts going into tomorrow? You got to be playing up there near the leaders now and little different golf course. Was it a little easier this morning than what it might be tomorrow?
LEE MCCOY: Yeah. You know, we had 7 holes with not a drop of wind and then it seemed like on 8 it picked up to about 15 and it didn't quit.

So, I mean I think I was 3-under through those 7 and getting off to that kind of a start was huge on this golf course, got to get under par early out here if you're going to shoot any kind of a round.

It's still going to be playing pretty tough out there for the leaders. The wind has really picked up at this point. It doesn't seem like it's letting up.

Q. Hit it in the water on 16 off the tee. Were you staying aggressive there?
LEE MCCOY: It was. I picked a good target, good number and just made a bad swing. I can't ask for much more than what I got today. It was just a bad time to push one.

That's one of the toughest holes that I've ever played and, you know, I actually drove it in the left trees the first two days and ended up breaking a hybrid against a tree yesterday trying to hit it out and that hole seems to have my number a little bit but we'll get it tomorrow.

Q. Golf is hard, otherwise everybody would be doing it. Great playing today. Keep it going tomorrow.
LEE MCCOY: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Q. (Inaudible).
LEE MCCOY: Yeah, it was nice to see my name on the leaderboard. Honestly, I didn't see -- I guess I was at 7 at one point and I didn't see 7-under on this golf course. Five was even a stretch.

I mean even though I put it in the water on 16 and was -- that was a painful one but I've still got to be really, really happy with my round and know that that's a tough hole for everybody.

It was blowing 20 in my face playing 485. Just wrong time to spin one a little too much and get caught up in the wind. It's golf.

Q. There are guys that are local and local locals. You're a local local?
LEE MCCOY: Like a par 5.

Q. Did you use to sneak on to this course?
LEE MCCOY: Sometimes they wouldn't take my word for it, I had my little member pass. It kind of expired. I had to play some angles but I've been coming to this tournament for eons. I told Gary on the first tee this morning, I was like, "I don't mean to make you feel too odd but I was here when you won and I watched you."

That was actually right before I moved. That was -- I think the last one I ever watched. I think it was 2011, maybe 2012.

Q. How many times have you played here?
LEE MCCOY: Probably a thousand. I get on it as much as I can. They stay pretty busy out here. The golf course is phenomenal and lot of resort guests want to play it so it stayed pretty busy but I would always get out here around 4, 5:00 in the afternoon, grab a cart and get out and play a few holes.

Q. Nice to be in on your own?
LEE MCCOY: Oh, man, it's great. This pass gets me everywhere. I get free food. It was incredible to grow up here and just to get some experience on this golf course early in my life. It's a tough test and kind of taught me to grind early.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297