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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 10, 2017

Grayson Murray

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. Start off by talking a little bit about playing in a major championship in your home state. What it was like out there this morning?
GRAYSON MURRAY: It was nice to have a lot of friends and family out there. Supporting me. You hear, Go Grayson, let's go. It's good motivation for me. Charlotte is only two and a half hours from Raleigh, so I feel like it's a home game.

I haven't seen Quail Hollow before this week, so it's a new course to me. This course is very tough. I played about as good as I could. I had some putts that could have dropped but that's how golf is. I'm very pleased with the round today.

Q. What's been the adjustment for you going for a guy fighting for your card and now you are playing in a major championship?
GRAYSON MURRAY: I think I was 123 or 4 on that FedExCup list going into the championship and won. People ask me was it a relief or excitement. And it was excitement. I knew I had a few more tournaments to secure my card. Getting that first win was huge confidence wise. I can't say how hard it is to win out here. I can't stress it -- what these guys do, what Jason Day or Rory or Jordan or Hideki, people take that for granted. It's unbelievable. Hopefully I can be in that category in the next year or two and be in their shoes.

Right now, I'm just trying to get that second one.

Q. Just reflect on that win. Talk about a life-changing moment. If someone had said to you that win is going to get you in the PGA Championship, what would you have said to them?
GRAYSON MURRAY: My last two years, year and a half has gone by fast. Went from conditional status on the Web.com to turning that into two Top-10s and getting through the shuffle last year and then turning that into the top 25 Money List finish. Then I won the finals event. So I got fully exempt this year, which is great. I didn't realize how great it was to have that luxury of being in some of the invitationals.

I probably played too much to start the year just because I wanted to. Always been my dream to be on the PGA Tour, how was I going to pass up some of those great courses on the West Coast.

I wore myself out early in the year and then I buckled down and grinded it out in the middle of the season. Had some decent finishes, making cuts, just not capitalizing on it. Everything clicked, like you said, at Barbasol this year. It was exciting. What comes with that not only two-year exemption but getting to the PGA Championship, it's huge. I get to go to Maui. Looking forward to making a run at the FedEx this year.

Q. What do you attribute the performance boost to?
GRAYSON MURRAY: I credit the team I have around me. I have a swing coach back home in Raleigh, Ted, who I worked with for a long time. I hired Josh Gregory who used to be the SMU golf coach, week of Bay Hill. Missed the cut there and I think I made ten cuts in a row after that.

My short game has really elevated since I have been working with Josh. My time management, I'm out here practicing for a purpose now. I'll not just out here on the range or on the practice area for five hours and talking and chatting. I get my work done quickly and get out of here so I don't waste too much energy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I'm ready to go Thursday. I think I have more energy because of that.

Q. You are still living in Raleigh?
GRAYSON MURRAY: I live in Raleigh. I'm a member at TPC Wakefield. There's a few of us out there, so we have some good matches. I don't have any plans to move any time soon. I love it at Raleigh. When it gets cold, I need that break anyway.

Q. You should be a bundle of nerves when you play in your first PGA Championship?
GRAYSON MURRAY: Honestly, that wind took a lot of nerves off. I'm freewheeling it now. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself now. I know I have the game to win. It's just a matter of putting together four rounds because that's what it takes when you play in the majors. You can't have one round or you will drop way down.

All the world class players are here, so I'll have to play my A plus game probably right now to win where some guys may be able to play their B plus and win. Hopefully I'll be at that stage of my career soon.

Q. Talk about your round today.
GRAYSON MURRAY: I drove it well enough. I missed -- when I did miss the fairway, I missed it in a pretty good spot to get to the green. I hit a lot of greens today. The pins especially today you could hit the fat part of the green where you are supposed to hit it and then you are wanting to two putt from there.

I never played Augusta but I heard the similarities of Augusta and here. These are Bermuda which makes it even tougher. It had gone a lot of greens today was key. That took a lot of pressure off my putting and I made the ones that I really should have made.

Q. What is your take on the 4th green?
GRAYSON MURRAY: I think it's definitely not like the other 17. I mean, that's the only way to put it. I played with Peter Uihlein today and he hit a shot. I think he hit a 7-iron and he landed two feet left pin high and it goes over the green and he makes 4. That's a little absurd maybe.

It is what it is. We're all playing the same hole. I mean, it's just it is what it is. I think maybe after this week, they could probably go in and change some of the undulations to it and make it a little flatter. I'm sure they are going to mess around with that tee a little bit too, maybe we'll hit a wedge in on day. If we have a wedge in our hand it's fine. If we're hitting 7-iron, 6-iron, some guys might hit 5 today to that pin, it's very tough.

Q. What did you hit?
GRAYSON MURRAY: I hit a cut 7. I was in between 8 and 7. I hit it just to the right. Actually in my practice round, we were looking at that pin. I knew it was better to go at that pin and short side yourself than it was to try to hit it 30 feet because the putt was so quick.

It's all patchy grass over there. If I had decent lie it would have been easy up-and-down. Unfortunately, I had an iffy lie and didn't get it up and down. I think just right or even in that bunker if you get up far enough in the face today, that's a good spot.

Q. You had never played here before or --
GRAYSON MURRAY: No. I've never played Quail before this week.

Q. Have you ever come here to watch a tournament?
GRAYSON MURRAY: Yeah, I have. This course is so much different though than what it used to be. It's probably a good thing I haven't played here before. It's a totally different course. I kind of think no one has advantage here besides Webb Simpson who plays here every day. The guys who've played well here in the past, I don't know if it suits their game since all the changes.

I was watching TV last night and they were talking about all these guys who played well here in the past. It's a totally different course. Maybe they see the lines good off the tee. Even some tee shots or holes have changed. It's a totally new course for everyone.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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