SIMMONS BANK OPEN FOR THE SNEDEKER FOUNDATION

May 8, 2022

Brent Grant

Press Conference

Q. Brent, you are officially a Korn Ferry Tour champion. I can tell you're trying to take this all in right now. Try to express how you're feeling.

BRENT GRANT: I'm tired after carrying that guitar around. No, it's unbelievable. I asked God to get me through this round. I was feeling a little tired. Yeah, I mean, the Grove put on a great show. The staff was great. You guys were great all week. My team is always great.

I was just fortunate enough to make enough putts and get it done. Some stiff competition out there and it feels good to beat them for sure.

Q. Has it really sunk in what you just did here?

BRENT GRANT: No. Honestly, at a certain point it will. Probably through my third or fourth wine glass.

No, it's great. One small step in the journey, and I've felt like I was two stops away from really getting where I really to go in life, and this gets my one step closer.

Q. What's the next step?

BRENT GRANT: Just get to the PGA TOUR, win on the PGA TOUR. That's two steps definitely.

So, yeah, no, there is so many more things to do, so much more golf to play. This year isn't over yet. Try to do this again.

Q. Getting a win is special, but I feel like here for you is extra special. Can you touch on why that is?

BRENT GRANT: You know, I feel at peace here, like I said after the second day. The people here are great. This place is unbelievable. These greens are what I grew up on, bermuda. I grew up in Hawaii and this is what I grew up on.

Every time I came out here every day for the last two -- well, yeah, this was the second time -- that I came out here it was great and these people are wonderful and I love it here. Just can't say enough about it.

Q. Got close last year twice.

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, for sure.

Q. Now you officially got it done. Is that all the hard work you've been putting in or did it just click for you? What can you credit your win to today mostly?

BRENT GRANT: Well, first of all, I got to thank God and my parents, my family, my team. I wouldn't be here without them.

This time last year I was in the clubhouse during a rain delay and I told Brad that I was pulling out for five weeks, and I did. I was in a lot of pain. I finished the round and did what I needed to do to get inside the top 5 and that was great, but I wanted to win.

I came back, and to come back here on Mother's Day with the ungodly day, and just to get it done here now is perfect timing.

Q. Talk about your round today. I know there was a bogey there at the end.

BRENT GRANT: Yeah.

Q. How do you handle that knowing you had a few holes left to correct it?

BRENT GRANT: I really like par-5s, especially when they're downwind and the greens are receptive, so I was confident that I could make birdie. I wanted to make eagle to really, really seal it, and when I saw that Kevin had made par on 17 and we were tied, obviously that meant that I had a chance.

You know, obviously I thought for sure that he was going to get it up and down. He just happened to catch a bad bounce or whatever it was and then I got the win.

But like I said, these guys are unbelievable and Kevin will be in these positions very, very soon I'm sure.

Q. I saw you talking after that putt there or after you almost made that putt.

BRENT GRANT: Yeah. It was going in the water. There was no doubt. I hit that putt and then I kind of like held my breath, and then all of a sudden hit the center of the hole.

I'm like, oh, okay. I looked up and I had some of my boys up in the stands there. We all knew. It was going Mach 4 right at the back of the hole, and thankfully the hole was strong enough to stop it and I tapped it in and the rest is history.

Q. You talk about the competition, so coming out on top here, talk about the level of guys you're playing against and what it means to win?

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, I mean, obviously this is by far one of the best tours in the world. Korn Ferry Tour has come a long way over the last couple years with Alex and the crew working tirelessly to get it where it is. We have great sponsors, which brings really good players.

This is technically my second season but it's my third year out here, and I've been competing PGA TOUR pros, Champions Tour guys, up-and-comers like I did yesterday.

And to beat guys that have won before, to beat guys that are going to be on the PGA TOUR very, very soon just tells me that not only do I belong on the PGA TOUR, but I can win on the PGA TOUR.

Q. Walk us through kind of almost like point to point like post high school for you up until Web.com (Korn Ferry), qualifying in 2018.

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, that's when I turned pro. Yeah, I didn't really play much golf before high school. Played a lot of baseball, football, just normal kid stuff.

My dad played a lot of golf and that's sort of how I developed my relationship with him during high school. I didn't really think about turning pro. I thought it was kind of stupid to basically toss a coin in the air and hopefully it lands on heads or whatever.

So when I finally did it, it was sort of -- when I finally decided to do it, it took a little bit, but I played the Sony in 2017. Played a practice round with Ken Duke and Anirban Lahiri; my dad was on the bag. Long story short. Ken pulls me aside afterwards and says, son, if you hit every shot the way you step up and hit it on the tee, you'll make it out here in no time.

That was five years ago. So at that point I turned -- I pretty much decided to turn pro. Went to Q-School three times, and on my third time I made it out here, and then we had the COVID year obviously, which was kind of a hit.

But, yeah, and then just sort of bided my time, worked my ass off, and here we are.

Q. Did you ever kind of think about at least turning pro when you were working at golf courses? I know you worked at a golf shop, equipment rep.

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, I did it all. Probably worked every job on a golf course. Sold clubs, all kinds of stuff. It never once crossed my mind. I worked a little bit right after I turned pro just to sort of have something to do before I moved to California.

Then fortunately I met some friends in Q-School and they hosted me for a few years. Without them, none of this would happen, and I can't thank them enough. You know, the whole crew at Bear Creek were amazing and just allowed me to do what I do and got out here.

Q. Is that unique path why this is so emotional for you, or is there something else behind that?

BRENT GRANT: Well, you know, obviously my parents aren't here. This is Mother's Day. All day I was just asking God for patience and strength. It's emotional because like I said, I proved to myself finally after years and years of beating myself up on and off the golf course that I can do it.

I've never been more certain that I'm going to make it on the PGA TOUR and win on the PGA TOUR.

Q. What was the injury last year and how much did that really set back just maybe your confidence toward the end of last year?

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, I didn't even know if I would continue to play golf. I have a torn ligament in my left wrist, still, but I have a great medical team, great trainer. Kevin (indiscernible - wind) and Sean Drake kicked my butt for those five weeks and continue to do so.

Thankfully, like I said, without my team, it's -- none of this means anything. I wouldn't be here.

Q. Was there a conversation about not playing anymore?

BRENT GRANT: Oh, yeah. So I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't move my wrist a certain way without sending jolting pain up my whole entire arm. I felt pain before. I fought through it, but this was probably one of the worst.

I had probably 15 hours of conversations with my dad after I got home after this tournament last year, and I thought about a whole slew of things.

When my mind goes it goes fast, but fortunately I overthought it, so when it turned out that three weeks later after not touching a club and doing a lot of PT I was able to hit balls and be at full speed, and I haven't been in pain since.

Like I said, Sean and those guys in Arizona are unbelievable. I'm blessed to have them on my team.

Q. I know you like to put on a show, so what was it like having the biggest following on the golf course today?

BRENT GRANT: Well, you know, honestly, last year we had a big following, and if it weren't for the weather we would've had a lot more. This year was -- this is unbelievable. These people here are just great.

I do like to put on a show, and thankfully I was able to do so on I think that was 13. Made it from the other zip code.

And then, yeah, I just -- this is -- I grew up obviously watching Tiger and seeing what he did, and Rory was the same way. Those guys are who I tried to emulate on the golf course.

That's the way golf should be played. You should play it with emotion. It's a game. It should be fun.

Q. What is it about The Grove you like, and kind of everything when you arrived to play? What it is...

BRENT GRANT: Oh, yeah. You look at the clubhouse, the facilities, this place is an absolute gem. I would live right over there and fish in this pond every day and play golf every day.

I mean, they do such a great job here. They accepted us here. This is their home. We come in, they're hosting us, we are guests, and for them to treat us like family means a lot. They've done it two years in a row for me, me and my caddie, and it's just a blessed place.

I really feel at peace here.

Q. And then you had some 36-hole success, couple 54s, and didn't follow up. Was it a struggle that was eating at you that you were maybe trying too hard for the next one? How were you able to take those or were you able to take those experiences to today and what was different?

BRENT GRANT: Yeah, so, I mean, the first time I did this was at LECOM I think 2021, and I was like a deer in headlights. I had no idea what I was doing. Eyes looking everywhere. I had a lot of crew there, just similar to here. Eyes were everywhere and my emotions were everywhere.

That started it and then I did it again here in Nashville last year later on in the year, and then I did it in Maine when I came back.

But I have been there, and knowing that all it takes is executing the process and trusting myself and just putting my head down and doing what I do, and I was very thankful to get it done for sure.

Q. One last one. Just getting the trophy from Sneds, what does that mean to have a nine-time PGA TOUR player?

BRENT GRANT: He's incredible. Brandt Snedeker is a household name. I grew up watching him. He's incredible. The way he is on and off the course is an absolute class act. He's probably the best person -- best example of how to be as a professional golfer.

For him to give me that trophy, look me dead square in the eye and tell me he would see me on tour, that's all I need.

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