July 19, 2024
Truckee, California, USA
Tahoe Mountain Club
Press Conference
Q. Three birdies coming in to get you into the weekend. Talk about that.
LANTO GRIFFIN: I've done that seven or eight times this year where the back is against the wall just to make the cut. It's frustrating with that happening being on the cut line so much.
I played really well yesterday and today, and nothing went my way. Made a really bad minus-3 or double on 15, and 17 was somewhat eagle-able, so the goal was to give yourself a chance coming in.
I made probably a 30-footer on 16. I was like, Well, now two birdies will do it. I almost made eagle on -- well, not really, but my bunker shot came close. I knew what I needed to do on the last, and I hit a really good putt and went in the middle.
Making the cut... Having to make birdie on the last it feels like winning a tournament until you realize you got to play two more days and you're in 60th place. It's always good for the confidence, and my game is trending. I feel good.
I was super frustrated the front nine today and just feeling like doing the right things and nothing going my way. That's the game of golf, and luckily, I hung in there and battled hard.
Q. What do you have to do? How deep do you have to dig to get through that funk or that grind?
LANTO GRIFFIN: Well, you start just not caring. Not in a bad way, but just you have no other option than to make three birdies.
The first one goes in, and you are, like, Now I have a chance. The next one goes in, and then you're, like, Well, damning, now I have to birdie the last or those two didn't matter.
Like I said, it feels like you're in contention to win a golf tournament, and unfortunately, now I'm in 55th place probably, but I'm super excited to play the weekend. This format, anything can happen.
That's the other thing I was telling myself. You go out and catch fire, you can make a big move. Especially at altitude and in this format. I'm feeling good right now.
Q. If you could just take me through tee-to-green the birdie on 18.
LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, 3-wood. Really good 3-wood right down the middle. I had I believe 130 -- it came down to 119 hole downwind. It's tough at elevation hitting wedges downwind, a little uphill because it's so hard to judge if the altitude is going to ride is downwind or not and hit a super spinny cut 54. It came out perfect.
There was eight or ten people in the grandstands, and they all started cheering. I was hoping it was a tap-in, and I get up there and it's a 12 feet, 15 feet. The greens were pretty -- the greens were really good here, but late in the day they get a little chewed up. With the way the sun was hitting it from the other side, I could see spike mark.
It was one of those where you kind of just -- it was about a cup and a half out, and I got it online, and it bumped its way in.
Q. When that putt drops, what's the emotions like? Is there relief?
LANTO GRIFFIN: I mean, I first-pump maybe twice a year, three times a year, and I think I did a little one there, just baby one.
It feels good to know you have to make birdie, you have to make this putt and do it. It's cliche, but that's kind of why we practice. We don't get too many opportunities to where it's a must-make, must-birdie, although I've had four or five of them this year, especially on the West Coast. It felt like every week I was birdieing a couple coming in, birdieing the last to make the cut.
It's fun. It's part of the reason why we grind so hard and we travel all the way out here by ourselves. Tonight will be a little bit sweeter sitting in my room by myself versus missing the putt and having to wait around for five days for 3M.
Yeah, it's validation, motivating for the next couple. The good news is when you have a finish like this, it kind of feels like, well, probably shouldn't have made the cut anyways, so we might as well go out and free-wheel it, especially in this format.
I'm going to have some fun this weekend.
Q. Just a couple of events left until the playoffs. Are you thinking about that? Are you just focused on let's have a good weekend and go to 3M?
LANTO GRIFFIN: I wish I was closer to that to be able to think about that, but I think I need to win. Even if I won this week, I wouldn't be in the playoffs, but I have other goals.
Been on medical. My medical is over. Finished tenth last week. First top 10 since my surgery. I felt like I could have won last week. So that was kind of the first stepping stone. Took a little longer than I hoped.
It's been a grind, but it's been a good grind. Got a lot of good stuff going on in my life, so I'm trying to keep perspective of when you look at Scottie Scheffler has 6,000 points and you have 95, it's a little demoralizing, but things can change fast out here.
You're one week away from snowballing some momentum. When that happens, you kind of forget about even the tenth last week, a little bit kind of forget about how bad my year was until I looked at the rankings, but the momentum is nice.
We all know in this sport the momentum is key. Once you get some, you can start riding it. That's where my mind is at more than the playoffs.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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