	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

SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

November 4, 2018

Sam Ryder

Las Vegas, Nevada

Q. Sam, you started the a day 10-under par. Did you have a number in mind when you went out today?
SAM RYDER: Not at all, no. It's kind of honestly similar situation to how I felt at Safeway. I felt like there it was kind of Brandt's tournament to win.

Here I felt Bryson, being as good as he is and he's closed plenty of times, I feel like -- see what happens. But I knew it was going to have to be silly low if I was going to have a chance. I just wanted to have a good day and take it hole by hole, shot by shot, play well, and that's kind of what I did.

Just made maybe the best ball striking round of my life. Wish I could have had the one back on 16. I mean, I want to go laser that after the day's over. I said, Be right, and I thought -- I mean, I thought that was perfect. I could not have hit it better. Came up a little short.

All in all, happy with it. Few too many fives on the scorecard, but good day.

Q. 19-under. Enough to get into a playoff?
SAM RYDER: I'm hopeful, but we'll see. These guys are good. Definitely some birdie opportunities coming in. You know, 15, 16 -- I don't know where Bryson is at. I don't know where those guys are at. I was looking at the scores; I wasn't really looking at the hole by holes too much.

But there are definitely some birdie holes. 17 is tough and 18 you have to hit a couple good shots, too. The course rewards good shots. Just if they hit good shots, definitely make some birdies and earn it.

If not, then it's anyone's tournament.

Q. With the guy that turned in the round the day, 9-under, 62, Sam Ryder, punctuated with the birdie on the last to post 19-under par. How big was that putt?
SAM RYDER: Felt good with just kind of leaving one out there I feel like on 16 kind of coming up short in the water. Happy to save par, but I hit it great today. It was one of those days where 9-under is a great score, but it felt like it could have been even better.

It's hard to complain, but par'd a couple of the par-5s. It felt really good to make the last putt on the last.

Q. Sam, excellent round. Get some comments on your final round.
SAM RYDER: It was good from start to finish really. Birdied my 1st hole; got into a rhythm; made a lot of kind of short-ish birdie putts. I was hitting it close all day. Hitting it in the fairway. Been kind of fighting it a little bit this week ball striking-wise tee-to-green and today I kind of put it together.

Just hitting some quality shots down the stretch where I was feeling a little bit of the adrenaline knowing I needed to make a couple birdies. Came up a little short on 16 with my second shot, but I can't really think of many, if any, shots that I missed.

I would've liked to birdie a couple of the par-5s; nine didn't hit a great chip; the other par-5, 14 on the back I was in the middle of the fairway and left it in a tough spot and made par.

So there was a couple too many fives on the scorecard. Other than that it was just a really good round of golf.

Q. You had a really good rookie season last year. You started really well this year. Must be pleased.
SAM RYDER: Yeah, it's kind of just been the process of me throughout my career in a way. I played a couple summers on the Canadian Tour. First year struggled a little bit; kept my card, and killed it the second year.

Web.com Tour I was kind of getting my feet the first year and had an awesome second year. And kind of last year was slow coming. I missed my first four cuts of the year really tired from the Web season. Started playing Sam Ryder golf in the middle of the summer moving into the playoffs. Would've liked to go deeper in the playoffs other than just finishing 101.

Yeah, I had a lot more confidence and I'm just comfortable out here. I feel like I know where I belong and where I fit in. I'm trying to get better and work on the things I know I need to work on to improve and try and be in that top tier of player.

Yeah, I think a lot of it is just being more comfortable out here and kind of knowing where my game is at.

Q. When you woke up this morning did you expect to be in this position?
SAM RYDER: No. To be honest, I didn't. I wasn't thinking about this position really. I was just thinking about trying to have a good warmup. Honestly my backswing bothered me, my hip, a little bit. I was thinking a lot more about my physical health.

I started feeling a lot better today. I think the adrenaline helps obviously when my back has been bugging me all day. Haven't done any practicing after rounds all week. Just been trying to rest as much as possible.

Yeah, just wanted to play a really solid round of golf and see what happens. Kind of up to those guys how they finish. When you're Bryson and you have a lead like that, then it kind of just rests on his shoulders. All I can do is have a round like I did today and see what happens.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297