	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

TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 22, 2018

Lanto Griffin

Cromwell, Connecticut

Q. You make 8 birdies out there in the second round. What was the big difference from the first round to playing the second 18 holes at TPC River Highlands?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yesterday I had a hard time hitting wedges on the green. So yesterday was scrappy. I was pretty happy with even yesterday. Worked on wedges, just worked on one swing in my right shoulder getting it through impact, and I started hitting some close. And I'm rolling is really well. So I knew if I gave myself a few opportunities today and the ball started -- if I made four, five good ones on the front.

I've just been on the cut line the last ten weeks it feels like, missing cuts by one or making them on the number. So the goal today was just to get it where I didn't have to worry about that and just kind of get ready for the weekend.

Q. You told me this is the first time you've ever seen the golf course at any time, professional, amateur, no matter what, and yet you're able to shoot 63 in the second round. That has to be encouraging to come to a place that you've never seen before, but a lot of guys I'm sure have told you about this layout.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I was excited to come before I even saw it I knew. I watched it on TV, and bentgrass, everything, it's kind of what I grew up on. I feel comfortable. When we got here on Monday, the greens were rolling amazing.

So after playing Shinnecock last week, those greens were baked and bumpy. This feels like you're putting on a pool table, so kind of got some confidence today and just rode with it.

Q. Some thoughts on the 63 today, Lanto, pretty impressive round.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I was happy to get off that cut number that I've been battling the last eight or ten weeks. So we got out. I really couldn't hit a green with a wedge yesterday, and today I thought about something last night, and it kind of clicked early. So I started hitting a few irons close, and that kind of freed me up making the putts. Just getting my right shoulder through it. Just hanging back.

Q. What type of shots were going well, and when did you realize that you could maybe have a nice low score?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I mean, I made the putt on 9. I made about a 15-footer that broke maybe ten inches, and that freed me up for the back. Just knowing the cut number I got a few good breaks too on the back. Just kind of hit my irons good and I'm rolling it great. The last few weeks it's been giving myself opportunities and I haven't been doing that. It's nice to have a few birdie putts instead of making them for par.

Q. You must like this place. The week started pretty well for you with being able to donate something.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, that was awesome.

Q. Just talk about that a little bit.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I mean, that was special. $10,000 can go a long way for a kid going to college. So I donated it to a scholarship fund that gave me a scholarship when I was going to college. Being able to give $10,000 back, that's almost a year's tuition.

Q. What fund is it?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame. They don't do it based on golf ability. They do it based on need base. So as long as you played golf in high school, you're eligible for it. It's a hundred percent of the proceeds will go straight to a kid.

Q. Talk about that shot that you hit to win that money.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, what's that green? Maybe three yards wide. I think it was 88 yards into the wind. Probably my best wedge shot of the year. I was driving with my caddie and said wish we could have saved that one for the golf course.

But it was cool. As soon as I hit it, I thought I -- I thought I was much closer than that. So when I found out I won, I was pretty excited.

Q. What is the usefulness for this organization?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Excuse me?

Q. What is the usefulness of this organization?
LANTO GRIFFIN: They help kids that can't afford to go to college that play golf. So it doesn't matter if you shoot 65 or a hundred, as long as you're into golf and played junior golf at all you're eligible. So they help probably a good 20, 30 kids a year be able to go to college.

It's pretty close to me back home, so I know a lot of the guys that run it. They're all great people.

Q. Now that you've made the weekend, will your game plan change a little bit? Will you become more aggressive?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Not really. You don't need to be out here. The greens are rolling so good, you just want to give yourself opportunities. So hopefully keep that going and see what happens.

Q. All the players give back to their foundations, how important is it for you guys to give back? Is it rewarding?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Oh, yeah, 100%. I wouldn't have an opportunity to play if it wasn't for 15, 20 guys that helped me play junior golf, amateur golf. I grew up and I didn't have money growing up to play golf. So if anybody knows the meaning of giving back, it's probably me. I just need to play better so I can build my brand and be able to start a foundation. But it's cool to start this week. It's kind of motivating for me to be able to start this week and hopefully build something going down the road to give back.

Q. What will you think about overnight, and how will you try -- will you think a lot about this round and what to do tomorrow? Will you try to put it out of your mind?
LANTO GRIFFIN: No, it will give me confidence. But tomorrow's going to be a new day. I probably won't think about it a whole lot. I actually have a little bit of a shin injury from last week at Shinnecock, so I've been limping around the last week. I'll probably just go home. I've been icing it a couple hours every night, and I'll get to do that again tonight. I'll keep my mind off of the tournament.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297