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BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 24, 2019

Jim Herman

Reno, Nevada

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome in Jim Herman to the interview room at the Barracuda Championship. Jim, thank you for taking the time to come and talk with us. You're fresh off your win last week at the Barbasol Championship. How have the last couple of days been for you?

JIM HERMAN: It's been pretty exciting, just answering texts. I've gotten so much love from all my family and friends. And a lot of people who don't even know me reached out on Twitter and Facebook. And it's just been fantastic.

And winning is so good. It's so nice to be back in the winner's circle.

THE MODERATOR: A lot of perks came with the win as well. You got a two-year exemption on tour, and also you moved up to 134th in the FedExCup rankings, giving you a great chance to play your way into the playoffs. What does that mean for you and the rest of the season?

JIM HERMAN: Obviously the two-year exemption is huge for me. It wasn't looking good. I was coming out of past champions status, so I didn't have many starts. I wasn't looking at many starts next year.

So, yeah, to be able to make the schedule again, it's going to be great. And, like I said, winning is such a great thing on tour. They take care of us out here. And really looking forward to making the schedule again.

And FedEx is, FedEx has been a great sponsor, and the playoffs are great events. Outside of -- they compete with the majors. I think everyone wants to be a FedEx champion. And I want to do the best I can this week, see if I can't get into that 125 and back into the playoffs in New Jersey a couple of weeks.

THE MODERATOR: Your fourth start here this week at the Barracuda Championship, not a bad place to be here at Montreux. What are your thoughts here on the course and the format?

JIM HERMAN: Obviously it's the modified Stableford and you gotta make a lot of birdies. I love coming out here. My wife is with me. We were always planning on coming back to Reno together, spending some time together. We both love to gamble. So it's a fun week.

Barracuda is a great sponsor. They take great care of us. And Montreux is a fantastic club. Such a beautiful, beautiful course -- the views, the scenery, going through the trees.

And I haven't had much success here. I don't know as far as finishes, but I struggle with altitude. See if I can't do a little bit better this week than I have in the past. But I kind of have a lower ball flight, so I don't take advantage of the attitude like some of the bigger hitters. We'll see what we can do and see if we can't (indiscernible) finish.

Q. How did the format change the way you approach (indiscernible) --
JIM HERMAN: Well, similar to last week. Last week at Barbasol it was go low. The conditions were very favorable for low scores.

So I think in a Stableford, having the benefit of just getting minus-1 for a bogey, plus-2 for a birdie, you've got to look at making some birdies and attack some flags that you may not have, or just play a little bit more aggressive.

So anytime I'm going to have short iron -- 9, 8 or wedges -- we'll be looking at attacking the flags, staying aggressive.

Q. (Question off Microphone)?
JIM HERMAN: Yeah, Hawaii in general is our favorite trip of the year. And very fortunate to be playing in Sony and Sentry one other time before. So, going into last week, Hawaii didn't seem -- didn't look too good.

So we've been there six straight years or so, to the Sony Open. And winning -- Kapalua, is just like heaven out there, and you can't draw a better place to be to play golf. And to spend it with my family and my wife and my two children, I'm booking those flights here once I get home next week or anytime I can and see if we can't get something planned.

And then Sony, I just love the Sony Open. They take great care of us out there. It's like -- it's so nice to go to Hawaii and play golf on the PGA TOUR. And the way everybody takes care of us, it's just a fantastic two weeks. But adding the second week in Kapalua has just been fabulous.

Q. (Question off Microphone)?
JIM HERMAN: Yeah, well, it was looking bleak. My PGA TOUR career was going to be limited to some past champion starts over the future years and -- unless something really changed in the next couple. And really the only way out of that scenario was winning. Even a second -- it would have got me into the Korn Ferry Finals and things like that, but a win was the only way to reset everything.

And I had to get more aggressive. I was just playing for cuts, trying, over the last couple of months, just trying to get some positive momentum being around the cut line. And all my goals were just trying to make some cuts and make some money. I hadn't done much of that over the years.

So this past week it was, like, all right, it's going to be low. Gotta set your goals high here and keep looking forward.

I was telling my wife last night, I just had -- sort of later in the week we were just resetting that goal, try to get higher and higher instead of thinking of the results that could happen from either a great finish or having a poor weekend and going back to just where I was.

I just thought of a new number; I gotta get to 15 under. I gotta get to 20. I gotta get to 25. I gotta get to 30. That's the way I just stayed in the moment of just staying aggressive.

Q. You said that your mindset sort of changed last week. Is there something in your game that also clicked (indiscernible) this year?
JIM HERMAN: I played really well tee to green. But anytime you win on the tour or you're contending, you have to be putting well. And my strokes gained, I think, is number one most of the week. I think maybe I fell to the third, third or the fourth for the week.

But through three rounds, I think, I was number one in putting. When I won in Houston, I think I was in the top five as well in putting.

So I guess when I get in contention, I'm putting well that week. So, that would be the biggest thing. I didn't think I was playing poorly in the weeks leading up to Rocket Mortgage or John Deere or Travelers. Tee to green was pretty good, but I wasn't making anything.

I guess that's how golf is. Changed things up a little bit, different putter, different grip. I read all the putts (indiscernible) changed, a little different. I've had a lot of help from my caddies in the past. And just took it all on myself, I guess, and here we are.

Q. [Question about FedExCup, 125, playing this week and next week and how disappointed would you be if you didn't make this].
JIM HERMAN: You'll always be disappointed not making the FedEx playoffs. But in my current situation, where I was, I'm not going to be too disappointed if it doesn't happen.

It will be good to get maybe a little break and maybe celebrate a little bit, and then have some time off to reset and have some family time, because the last six months has been pretty stressful just not having the results that you like.

You're not as happy at home. I'm sure my wife and kids could see that.

I'm trying to stay as positive as I could. But, I mean, now it's just a blessing. It would be just a huge bonus if I could get back into the playoffs.

Yeah, I was just looking to get into the Korn Ferry Finals a week ago, just getting a good finish to move inside the top 200. Now I'm 134 and I've got to see what I can do this week. And get in that 125 would be just a huge bonus.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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