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WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN

February 1, 2019

Branden Grace

Scottsdale, Arizona

SHARON SHIN: Like to welcome Branden Grace to the interview room. Thank you for your time. First of all, second round 7-under 64. What went well for you today?

BRANDEN GRACE: What went right? Yeah, it was good, obviously I got off to a good start yesterday. I think the 4-under was up there. I think that's probably the worst I could have shot yesterday. But it was nice that the way that I hit the golf ball carried into today. And then obviously the hole-in-one got the round started from there. I felt really aggressive, I could be aggressive out there and I could just really go after and hit some shots. But I think it was really important to stay patient over the double bogey on 11. That could have really back fired, could have really put my round, take it back to the negative there. But I kept on going, I knew I was hitting the ball well. And I think the one key for today I think it was on the 14th hole, I had a 6-footer for par and when I made that putt that was a momentum key. Then I just felt like the putter was on the roll today.

SHARON SHIN: Talk a little more about that hole-in-one, what club did you use, what was the yardage?

BRANDEN GRACE: I actually can't recall that, the exact yardage, but I thought it was a 7-iron and my caddie Craig said he thinks it's a perfect number for an 8. And I wanted to hit it pretty much at it and if anything it's going to finish just past it. And he thought it was just a normal flush 8-iron. And I said, okay, if you, if that's what you think then I'm going to go for it. And felt really good over the shot, hit a great shot and the guys behind the hole actually started jumping up before the ball actually went in. So when people start jumping you know it's there or thereabouts. But that's only my third one ever so it was great and then obviously what a nice place to have one.

SHARON SHIN: Open it up for questions.

Q. When was the last time that you had a round like this where an eagle, hole-in-one, double bogey?
BRANDEN GRACE: Well, it's only my third hole-in-one so a long time ago. I think eagles-wise that sort of stuff I had a couple of weeks back in Abu Dhabi I had a few eagles, started hitting the ball a lot better, started being aggressive, things like that. Actually started seeing the shots better on par-5s. I think in the past I just wanted to get it there or thereabouts. Now actually going into par-5s trying to hit it in specific spots, trying to hit the shape and hitting the right areas that you need to go. But I think a round like this maybe the SA Open back in South Africa, not a hole-in-one and an eagle but a pretty low one.

Q. When did you get away from being aggressive and when did you start it again?
BRANDEN GRACE: I've always been an aggressive player. I think on par-5s, par-5s have not been my strong point in the last couple years. Don't ask me why, I'm normally pretty good off the tee and things like that, and a lot of times I didn't enjoy hitting a 3-wood or a hybrid. And towards the end of last year I got a great hybrid in the bag and I've been hitting it awesome. A couple of weeks back I got a 3-wood that I actually suited, that's one of the toughest clubs for me to hit and now I feel I can actually go for stuff and I can give myself some chances on them. So that's pretty much been the big change. I think this week I think there's, that's what you need to do to be in contention to win tournaments.

Q. I think is this your first time here.
BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah.

Q. So is this a tournament that's kind of been on your radar and what are your impressions of it so far?
BRANDEN GRACE: I've always watched this event and I've always felt like this is one that I actually want to come and play but it's never really fit into the schedule. This was a very last minute call for me this year. I play -- I came over from Abu Dhabi, I played San Diego last week, which I really wanted to play and I played badly. And I thought to myself, just enter for this week, beginning of the week I told my caddie Craig, I said, I just have a feeling we should play, just keep on going, get on the train and just keep on playing until you're tired and then you take a week off. That's exactly what happened. Obviously I had a bad week and decided to enter for this week and obviously did a lot of hard work leading up to this event. And not that I think I played badly last week, it just didn't go our way. A couple of bounces like this week, they go your way, a couple don't go your way, you miss a cut, it's pretty simple, pretty easy out here. But so I'm glad I made the trip and it's lived up to everything, I tell you that much.

Q. Speaking of being your first time here, with all the craziness on the par-3 on 16 do you enjoy that, do you sort of, because you can hear it as you're playing the round, you can sort of anticipate it, because you can hear them over there getting all crazy. Do you like that stuff?
BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, I thought it was great. I think obviously being part of three Presidents Cups help because there is nothing like the 16th, yeah, I must say. There's no event that gets close. Even the Majors, obviously there's a big hype, but people are a little bit more on the safe side, if I can call it that, with how much noise they make and how crazy they get. But I think it's been awesome. Yesterday was actually the first time that I experienced it because when I played on Tuesday -- I wasn't in the pro-am -- and on Tuesday morning we played first thing out so there must have been a couple hundred people but nothing like yesterday and today. But I thought it can't be that bad today. This morning, when I was warming up, 7 o'clock when those gates opened, the guys were running and running to that 16th, screaming and going crazy already. I mean you knew it was going to be a loud one today. And obviously making a birdie on there was pretty awesome and everybody going nuts.

Q. Can you imagine if you moved your hole-in-one to that hole what would have happened?
BRANDEN GRACE: Oh, man, I tell you, I don't know what I would have done, but, yeah, I'm not like James, I'm, I don't have the best dance moves, so but, yeah it would have been pretty awesome.

Q. When was your last hole-in-one?
BRANDEN GRACE: I actually I think it was four years ago maybe or three or four years ago at the BMW in China. My first one out of Asia. I've had -- this is only my third one, I had two in China and obviously this one. So it's pretty special.

Q. How much energy for the rest of the round did the hole-in-one give you?
BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, big time. Up to there I actually had a lot of birdie chances, just kept on hitting the lips, just not really seeing the lines. Then when you make that, it's -- obviously it's, first of all, it's nice not to take the putter out of the bag for a whole hole. Sometimes when you're chipping in it's great, but to walk the whole hole without a putter is great. I had a couple of nice chances after that, I made a nice putt on 10 and then obviously got that little bit of a kickback on 11. But I like this golf course, I like the way it sets up, I like that you have to hit certain shots off the tees. It's not just -- I can see it's a bomber's golf course, but you still have to hit it straight. If you are just off the fairways it's fine, but as soon as you get those ones that go a little bit loose you're going to struggle out here. But that was a big momentum key for me for the round, the hole-in-one today.

Q. You've had a lot of success in Europe, won quite a few titles there. How do you see your schedule breaking down this year as far as PGA TOUR events versus European Tour events?
BRANDEN GRACE: This year I'm pretty much set just to be in the States. I think the only one that I would play or consider playing in Europe is maybe the Scottish Open before the British Open. And then I'm obviously going to not -- I'm not giving up my membership, I'm playing my numbers that I have to. It's actually it's kind of worked to my advantage this year because the events that I normally play, that's normally on my schedule, is pretty much after the FedExCup. So it allows me just to stay out in the States this year and really just concentrate out here and try to compete.

Q. You mentioned how exciting the atmosphere has been today and yesterday, but what have you heard about Saturdays at Waste Management and what are you looking forward to tomorrow?
BRANDEN GRACE: I tell you I can't really imagine it being completely different to today, it was pretty hectic out there. But I mean I'm sure it's going to be a little bit busier, but today was pretty loud on 16, I tell you. It's quite astonishing. You see -- last time I saw crowds cueing up like that to get into a stand, geez, it was maybe like a U.S. Open or maybe Augusta, I mean, that's it. You never see people cueing up -- maybe one or two lines, but not four, five lines deep. So I'm sure it's going to be awesome, if it's anything like today it's going to be another fantastic day out here in Scottsdale.

SHARON SHIN: Thank you for your time and good luck this week.

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