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SEMGROUP CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY JOHN Q. HAMMONSMay 5, 2007Reilley RankinBROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA THE MODERATOR: Bogey 3-round, 4-under overall, can you tell us, Riley, how you played today? REILLEY RANKIN: I just played solid, hit a lot of fairways and gave myself some chances. THE MODERATOR: Can we go through your scorecard? REILLEY RANKIN: Sure. THE MODERATOR: Birdie on 4. What did you hit? REILLEY RANKIN: I don't know. I don't know what I hit. THE MODERATOR: That's all right. REILLEY RANKIN: Maybe a 6-iron. THE MODERATOR: How close? REILLEY RANKIN: About 10 feet. THE MODERATOR: Okay. 10th hole? REILLEY RANKIN: 10th hole I used a 9-iron, about 7 feet. THE MODERATOR: And 14? REILLEY RANKIN: 14 was a par 5. I hit a wedge and I hit it about 15, 17 feet. Q. You're on tour, you've got a whole bunch of people on the leaderboard who have either not won recently or haven't won at all. Do you feel like, hey, I have a chance with everybody else tomorrow? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah, definitely. I feel like I have a chance. I'm just going to play my game. Q. Not many people were firing big numbers today, maybe it was playing harder today than yesterday, but you fire a round like you did today and it gets you back in the hunt. Do you feel like that? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah. It was tougher. It was pretty windy; that can be trickey, and also with the greens it's important for distance control. And obviously the wind that can be tough. I mean, it was just a solid round. Q. I'm going off memory, so correct me if I'm wrong, but in one of the tournaments here in the past you played well and gave yourself a chance, am I correct? Do you recall? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah, I think my first year. I remember it was the first time -- the first round I was paired with Annika, and I was fired up, and then I didn't play so well on Sunday. I think that's the year. Q. Was it being paired with Annika? What fired you up? REILLEY RANKIN: I don't know, I just -- I hadn't played with her in a tournament, and I just remember thinking whatever I was doing in the locker room, I went out and told my caddy how pumped I was -- I don't know, I was just pumped up to play. Q. She is one of the great players. Do you like playing with great players? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah. I focus better, and there is a lot more energy, and I like the crowds, so it's always nice, too, because she has big crowds, and then you play well and they cheer for you. I enjoy playing with the crowds. Q. When was the last time -- do you remember the last time you went to the final round with a lead? REILLEY RANKIN: I believe at Toledo last year. I think I was one shot out. Q. Do you like playing in the last pairing? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah, I love it. When people ask me how long I've been on tour, and I have to say this is my 4th year, I don't like that because I haven't won enough yet. My expectations are a lot higher than I have performed, but, yes, that's what you play for. And it's so much better. Q. Earlier today Nicole said in her group they all stayed right there together the whole time, and she said she kind of fed off of that. Are you the kind of player that will feed off what everybody is doing tomorrow, or do you just go out and play your own golf. REILLEY RANKIN: You're with the leaders and people are making birdies, there is energy with that. Yeah, you try and feed off of it and build, and it's always nice when you have that. That's what playing with Annika -- that's kind of what happened. Q. I noticed the hat. Did you get to see the jet that you were talking about? REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah. It was awesome. I saw that yesterday afternoon. Captain Band, who I played in the Pro-Am with, he took us. And I went in the locker room and put the suit on and we went out to the planes and climbed up on them and sat in them. It was really neat. I was like a kid. I can't remember the last time I've been so excited. I was completely in awe. They're amazing. I don't know why I was -- I mean, it just intrigued me. I didn't know I was so intrigued by airplanes. (Chuckles.) F-16s are different, but it was unbelievable. Q. It was an F-16? REILLEY RANKIN: Yep. Q. You couldn't go up because you have to file paperwork -- REILLEY RANKIN: Yeah. When I played with him in the Pro-Am I asked him what he does. He said he was a fighter pilot, and the first question I asked him was, "Can you take me for a ride?" And he was like, "Actually maybe," or something. He said probably next year, by the time next year comes, because it literally goes to Congress, and it's not real good for your back, and I think I'm going to have to pass. I would love to go, but if roller coasters aren't good for your back, then... Q. He was going to come fly by -- REILLEY RANKIN: He said he was going to do a fly-by today! (Chuckles.) Q. What sort of relationship do you have with the other three? REILLEY RANKIN: I don't even know who is tied for the lead. Q. Karin, Stephanie Louden, and Nicole. REILLEY RANKIN: They're all great girls. I've known Stephanie and Nicole for a long time. We played Junior Golf together, and Karin, I don't know her as well, but the teacher I work with worked with -- she's from Sweden so I've heard a lot about her from him. She's really nice, too. I've played with her a few times but never hung out, really. Q. What part of your game allows you to go on a course and shoot a 68. REILLEY RANKIN: Everything. I realized a couple of weeks ago that I was trapped -- I wasn't playing -- I call it Reilley's world. It doesn't matter how I do it; I just do it. And I don't have to explain to somebody how I hit it under the rope or over the rope, and to just use that. That's what makes you good. To just play like that -- I have to play my way, and I think I was trying to -- for probably a year or so I was trying to figure out how I did what I did. My teacher said take less effort with it, just do it. But if he said, "How did you do that?" I don't know. I just know he told me to do it. But I was trying to figure out how I did that, so I'm just playing, you know, my game and my way. There is no right or wrong way, everybody out here plays their way. I played today like it might be the last round of golf I played. And I just enjoyed it, and I wasn't -- I didn't let myself be the coach. That's what you have a coach for, and I wasn't judgmental. I just enjoyed the day like it was my last round. Which you never know, it could be, but I don't want to be out there telling myself what I did wrong and it doesn't matter -- or what I did right. I just enjoyed the people I was with. I didn't get wrapped up in myself or my game -- you know, just enjoyed where I was. Q. Before would you be talking yourself out of shots or -- REILLEY RANKIN: Not necessarily. I've always been into the mental side, but I just let go and instead of trying to do it perfect, which I think is kind of hand-in-hand with trying to figure out how I do it, trying to go out there and do it like that. Who cares? I don't care if I hit it left-handed, just hit it. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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