	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BUICK INVITATIONAL

January 24, 2008

Brad Adamonis

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

CHRIS REIMER: Brad Adamonis, 6-under par today. You finished ninth at the qualifying school and that happened right after winning an eight-hole playoff on the Nationwide Tour. After a few years of maybe not finishing where you wanted to, it seems like you've got things going. What's been the difference lately?
BRAD ADAMONIS: Well, one of the things for sure has been my caddie, Tim Duffy, a friend of mine from Rhode Island. He came out and he's a really good player. He actually shot 60 in a tournament, so he's a good player, knows the game. He really helped me with my short game. I've improved from 100 yards in and also with my putting. So I think that's one of the keys that's helped me out definitely.
And then being a little more patient and a little more mature.
CHRIS REIMER: You've had a good friendship with Eric Compton, who's been in and out of the hospital recently, and I think you had some family and folks in the hospital. You were talking outside about how that kind of gave you good perspective. For those of you that aren't familiar with those stories, just kind of give a brief rundown of what happened.
BRAD ADAMONIS: Three years ago my dad, he had to go in the hospital for a routine surgery and he ended up almost dying. They read him rites and he was in the hospital for three months. He fought through it and lost 75 pounds. After that point, you know, he really showed a lot of intestinal fortitude to get through that situation. It looked like he was going to die. They read him his rites three different times. For him to make it through that, it changed my perspective of the game and helped me out quite a bit.
And also a friend of mine, Eric Compton, he had a heart attack last year, and I played with him the week before in Boise. And actually he missed the cut -- he made a 9 on like the third-to-last hole, missed the cut by like a stroke, and he said that was the best cut he ever missed because if he would have been in Boise, he would have died.
He went back home to Miami where he lives and he said he was like a minute from the hospital, and they said if he would have waited five more minutes he would have died. He's struggling with that, but he's getting a lot better. He has a great attitude, also, about things. But seeing situations like that kind of puts things in perspective for me.

Q. When you say puts things in perspective, is it because you were putting too much pressure on yourself with the golf?
BRAD ADAMONIS: Yeah, I think so. You know, I've been trying to play. I've been playing mini-Tours for about five years and the Nationwide Tour, and I've always had a pretty good game but probably put a little too much pressure on myself. Now it doesn't really matter. I can just go out there and hit one shot at a time. It's been working out a lot better.

Q. With your family as involved in golf as they are and how hard you've worked over the years, how much does it mean to you and to them to be on the TOUR this year? I know it probably took a little longer than you had hoped.
BRAD ADAMONIS: I know they're really excited about watching me on TV playing with the best players in the world, and I am, too, of course. But it may mean a little bit more to them because I was just going through the grind for a few years on the Nationwide Tour.
The Nationwide Tour is really not that much different than this Tour. I'd say this is a little different with the media aspect and also with the crowds and stuff like that, but it's pretty similar. But it's great for me out here. I'm having the time of my life.
My wife, though, on the other hand, she's at home with my two little kids, so she wishes she could be out here but the kids are too young. She's going to come out in March, but everybody is really happy about it.

Q. Are you so focused on making your score today, or was there a moment where you could stop and appreciate, I'm on the leaderboard with Tiger Woods?
BRAD ADAMONIS: Yeah, I tried not to get myself looking at the leaderboard because the reality of the situation is I'm trying to execute shots, and most of the time when I look at the leaderboard I really don't execute well, so I just -- until maybe I'm lucky enough to win a tournament then probably I would feel a little bit more comfortable, but I'm just trying to execute shots.

Q. You have been comfortable in your starts, though, as a rookie, making the first two cuts and then today. How do you explain coming out so comfortably?
BRAD ADAMONIS: I think the Nationwide Tour is a great place to play, and it's basically the same as this Tour with the exception of there's obviously more talented players, but it's basically the same setup, and I feel pretty comfortable. I'm just trying to think about playing the best I can. I'm not getting caught up in the other outside distractions obviously.

Q. Can you talk about how the course set up for you today and how successful you were in handling it?
BRAD ADAMONIS: Yeah, I've been hitting the ball -- I started hitting my driver pretty good, so I'm hitting the ball pretty good right now. My buddy gave me a putting lesson last night in the room playing cards. He was giving me this lesson and I was laughing at him. Something clicked on the green this morning. I thought about what he said. He really helped me out. I made quite a few nice putts.
The North Course is a lot easier than the South obviously, but it sets up pretty well for my game because I hit the ball pretty long and try to attack some of the par-5s. But at the same time, too, I hit a lot of good shots.
I'm looking forward to playing the South Course, though. That should suit my game pretty well because I'm a pretty good ball-striker.
CHRIS REIMER: Lastly, do you have anything to say to the Chargers fans here being a New England Patriots guy?
BRAD ADAMONIS: I was hoping to go in with a low profile. I'm just happy that they're in the Super Bowl. My wife told me that I can't be positive about them because every time I say they're going to win a game, they lose, so I'm not making any comments on that.
CHRIS REIMER: Would you mind just going through your clubs on your birdies here, the distances and clubs?
BRAD ADAMONIS: Yeah, on the 4th hole I hit a really good drive and a wedge to about four feet, made that putt. Hit a really good shot there.
6, the par-3, I hit a 7-iron, a knock-down into the wind to about four feet again. Hit a really good shot.
10, I hit a really good drive but I was in the rough, and I hit a sand wedge about 15 feet, made that putt.
11, I made about a 20-footer and hit a wedge into that hole.
Then 12 is probably the hardest hole on the course by far because it's into the wind and I hit a 3-iron and made about a 40-footer, so that was great.
14, I hit a driver, 3-wood on the green about 20 feet and made a two-putt.
And 17, three-putted that. I got a little nervous. I saw the cameras. It's a little new to me, a lot of people coming around. That's what I'm talking about with distractions. So that kind of frazzled me a little bit.
But 18 I hit driver, 3-wood pin high in the bunker and hit a decent bunker shot and made about a six-footer.
CHRIS REIMER: Thank you, Brad. Good luck the rest of the week.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297