	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

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP

September 24, 2016

Martin Flores

Columbus, Ohio

Q. You got one back on 18. You really were unfortunate yesterday. Nice birdie at the last.
MARTIN FLORES: Yeah, I was really looking forward to that hole. But it's always great to finish with a birdie. It was an awesome day. So just really pleased with the round.

Q. You got the same look in your eye that I saw a month and a half or so ago back in Knoxville. You seemed to really focus, your entire game is really crisp and the putter is rolling perfectly.
MARTIN FLORES: Well, thank you. Yeah, I want it really bad. I'm sure just like anybody else. I'm really focused on my approach and what I'm doing out there.

Q. How will you approach tomorrow? You have a three-stroke lead, you've gone 13 deep in a tournament that hasn't given up double digits in several years.
MARTIN FLORES: I'm not going to change anything. I respect every individual out here and I know that anybody can put together a hot round, so I got to keep doing what I'm doing. I know the golf course is very, very difficult and it's going to be a challenge.

Q. Do you think it's toughening up each day?
MARTIN FLORES: I think so. Some of the greens were a little firmer than others and certain spots in the fairway were a little firmer than others. I did not expect that. But I believe it's going to be perfect weather tomorrow and so it's only going to get harder and firmer conditions.

Q. You started out the year wanting to get your card back and you did that, you locked that up with your performance throughout the year, and then capped it off with a win in Knoxville. What motivates you today?
MARTIN FLORES: It's always the same thing, wanting to be better. Improving every day and getting better than yesterday and that never changes. The desire to win is the same, just learning how to do everything you need to do. In previous years I would get in my way more often, and I think it's a huge mental battle out there. You got to stay patient and let the golf course come to you.

Q. Great 5-under round and you're up by three heading into tomorrow. Just your thoughts on the third round.
MARTIN FLORES: Very, very happy with how I played. I struggled early, with lag putting, I was leaving everything short. Just struggled with the speed. Then as the round went on I started to hit the ball close quite a few times, but I started getting the speed a lot better. So I was very happy with that. This golf course is very, very tough. It really tests your patience. I was very, very happy with 5-under.

Q. Can you talk about the four birdies you made after the bogey to respond so quickly.
MARTIN FLORES: Bounce back is always great. I knew I was going to be in trouble when I saw it go in the bunker, because I was going to be pretty close to the lip. Did a pretty good job of getting it close to the green. Again, 11 was one of those times where I struggled with the speed with lag putting and I barely got it halfway there. Then I stayed patient, I stuck to my game plan, I stayed to my approach and I just kept going along and I think birdies just happen. You have to let them happen. It's very, very hard to force birdies. Especially out here. So if you try to make birdies, if you're trying to force things, I think that typically backfires.

Q. Is there something from the practice green to inside the ropes as to why your lag putting was off?
MARTIN FLORES: I'm not sure. I haven't put my finger on it. I just, when I walked out on the golf course they looked a little more baked out than the practice green. So I thought that certain locations putting down the hill on 8 or putting uphill on 10, those locations looked a lot more baked out and the speed was just wasn't as fast as I thought. Those are two examples, but I'll come out just a few minutes early tomorrow and try and get a good feel for the practice green and see if I can have better speed control. Because you're not going to hit it close every time. The greens are very, very undulating, so lag putting is very, very important.

Q. You hit a close one on 18. Could you talk about that last birdie to cap off your round.
MARTIN FLORES: Yeah I was very happy. Especially after I bogeyed it yesterday. I thought I hit a really got into the hole yesterday and it ended up going over the green. I don't know if it hit a hard spot or what, but that's kind of how things go. I had a great drive I had like 88 yards and I was trying to hit it about 80 and skip it back there and stop it and executed it nicely and poured in the putt.

Q. When you won earlier in Springfield you talked about the possibility of getting to No. 1. A win tomorrow would put you ahead of Wes Bryant. I'm wondering if you've even thought about that at all?
MARTIN FLORES: No, I want to pass Wes Bryant, just like I'm sure everybody else does. Wes has had a fantastic year winning three times, but, yeah, I want that spot and I'm going to go out tomorrow and do my best the. Tomorrow's going to be a challenging day, and see what I can do.

Q. Were you shocked where the drive ended up on 17?
MARTIN FLORES: I hit a 2-iron. Shocked is a pretty kind word. I didn't really, that was never in my thought process that ball's going to go that far. And I even asked where it landed and they said it was back in the fairway. So typically I've been hitting 3-wood off that hole and taking it over the bunker, but I thought with helping wind that a 2-iron was going to be just fine. When I got down there and I saw the situation, I thought dropping was, yes I would have had a clean look at the pin but anything could have happened with that drop. I could have been in one of those little holes, and my lie was good, I just had to play away from the pin and I think that is one of the things that I have gotten better at is accepting par sometimes, being patient. I didn't force any kind of issue there. I think I could have very easily have tried to go at the pin, but I chose to play to the middle, accept the 2-putt, and move on. I think that's one of the things that I've gotten a lot better at.

Q. Can you compare how you were feeling when you won on Saturday going into Sunday and today with what will happen tomorrow? Where you will be with your confidence? Is there any similarity between the two?
MARTIN FLORES: When the year started I wanted to see how uncomfortable I could make myself on the golf course. I wanted to see, get in new situations. I hadn't won. I wanted to win. Come out with a lead. Stuff like that. I want to push myself to see how I handle it. If I fail, so what, I'm going to learn from it and you move forward. But if you go out and succeed, you also learn from that as well. So I think it's a win/win situation. So I want to go out tomorrow and have the same approach, be patient, but aggressive, and see how I do.

Q. Can you talk about leading tomorrow. Does this golf course favor a person leading by three or the people chasing you?
MARTIN FLORES: I'm not really looking at it as leading. I have the same approach. I'm going to go out and attack and sure, if I'm out of position, try to get myself back in position. But I'm going to play the same. Whether the outcome's the same, I don't know. I'm going to try to play the same. I'm not going to change anything. If you get to 13-under par through three round I don't see why you need to change anything. Especially with all the players out here are so good, so anybody can put together a fantastic round tomorrow and still beat me. Even if I go out and shot even par tomorrow, somebody could come out and shoot a hot round and beat me. So I got to keep do you think what I'm doing.

Q. The fans love you on 13. They hadn't had a beer in a while.
MARTIN FLORES: That was fun. I hit one to about three or four feet on that hole and that was awesome. So I'm glad I could contribute.

Q. Golf has been a family game for a long time, can you talk about that ball marker that you have?
MARTIN FLORES: Yes, my grandfather passed away I believe it's been two and a half, almost three years. Before he died, I believe my grandfather gave it to my father or gave it to him at a young age, I'm not sure. But he gave it to me at Colonial I think three years ago and I've used it ever since. So, I miss him all the time and it's kind of a reminder of what's truly important and it keeps a fresh perspective.

Q. His name?
MARTIN FLORES: His name is Martin Flores.

Q. That's your grandfather?
MARTIN FLORES: Yes.

Q. What kind of coin is it?
MARTIN FLORES: It's not actually a coin, it's, I believe it's kind of a, used to be an old necklace. It's very small. It looks like about the size of a quarter. But I've just used it since then and it's a reminder.

Q. Where does it go? Is it always in your bag?
MARTIN FLORES: It is. It always is. I have, my aunt made me like a little pouch to put coins and stuff in and she's pretty crafty that way and so I have a lot of things.

Q. Is it a good luck thing or just a good family thing?
MARTIN FLORES: It's a family thing. A love thing. I miss him all the time. So it's great to have.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297