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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AMFebruary 7, 2008John MallingerPEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA NELSON SILVERIO: John, thanks for joining us for a few minutes in the media center. 67 today, currently in second place. Just talk about conditions out there and just some general comments on your round. JOHN MALLINGER: Today wasn't bad. It got a little breezy at the end of the round but started off pretty cold in the morning. I actually wasn't even thinking about playing because I have a shoulder problem and just had a really bad warmup. But I ended up birdieing the first hole and just kind of got some momentum going and just kept going. Q. Which shoulder is it? JOHN MALLINGER: It's my right shoulder. It started over in Hawai'i. Basically I took about five weeks off of golf and then came back and started practicing a lot, and I think it's just overuse from a lot of playing. I'll go get some treatments out there and get ready for tomorrow. Q. You were seriously considering not playing? JOHN MALLINGER: Yeah, I didn't hit any balls going into today, no practice rounds, no nothing. Q. Last year was a pretty darned good year for you. It seems like it started here and kind of carried over. Is that pretty accurate to say? JOHN MALLINGER: Yeah, definitely. This was one of the tournaments that kind of got me going. It was a big leap. Being a rookie and all, I needed to get a good number in the reshuffle and that kind of got me into a lot of tournaments, Memorial, Colonial and the invitationals that I wouldn't have normally gotten into. Q. Any reason why you decided to go ahead and play? JOHN MALLINGER: I think it was a big reason. If it was any other tournament, I probably would have backed out. I like coming up here, I like this place. I feel really comfortable, and I just felt like I should have played. Q. How much did last year's experience sort of help you this week? JOHN MALLINGER: I think a lot. I've been in this situation three or four times last year, and had three 3rds, so I'm pretty comfortable with it. It's a little different on the West Coast. The late starting times at 1:00 o'clock, you get to kind of -- it's just a different feel, you know? But I really enjoy coming here, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. Q. Do you think that last year you were able to kind of establish yourself even though it was your first year? JOHN MALLINGER: I think so. I think last year going into the year if somebody would have asked who I was, they probably would have had like no idea. And now it's probably a little bit better. But I'm really recognized by a lot of the players, and I think it was a good year for me. I wouldn't say I overachieved, but I'd say it was a pretty solid year. Q. Is it difficult to establish yourself as a young player? JOHN MALLINGER: I think so, I think anywhere. I had some good mentors. John Cook really, really helped me out, kind of just showed me the ropes and what to do, what not to do, what golf courses he really liked, and just kind of stick to your routine. Q. And are you sticking with the same schedule pretty much? JOHN MALLINGER: Pretty much, yeah. The only thing that would change for me is the majors, if I start getting into them. Q. Have you had any problems with your shoulder before? JOHN MALLINGER: You know, about two years ago I had a problem with my left shoulder when I got through Tour school. I didn't play any practice rounds that week, either. I ended up going through all three stages and getting through and I played no practice rounds, so I might change something up for the rest of the year (laughter). Q. Can we go through the round real quick? JOHN MALLINGER: It's funny, No. 10, I started -- it was really cold, and I hooked my drive into the bushes and I had a chip out and I actually hit a 2-iron on the green and made about an eight-footer for birdie. It was a different way to start. Bogeyed the second hole, had a three-putt. Then 12 and 13, I made two good putts from about 15 feet. And then after that I kind of cruised. 18 was an easy up-and-down. And then finished on 8 and 9, I had some good shots in. I had about eight feet on 8 and then about four feet on the last hole. Q. You were on Poppy? JOHN MALLINGER: I was. I hit a lot of good shots today. It could have been three or four better, but with the poa annua starting to grow in the afternoon, it's tough making those putts. Q. After you hooked your first drive, what were you thinking then? JOHN MALLINGER: I was talking to my caddie, it's one of those things where you don't want to lose too much confidence in your game and you've really got to step back and realize, this was the best thing for me. We talked about it yesterday going in, and if I was going to play I needed to have a good attitude about it. I realized that I wasn't going to be 100 percent, and going into it about 90 percent is what we talked about. So just a lot of -- I wasn't going to be pounding it out there, it was just fairways and greens and try to make some putts. Q. Did you have to make any adjustments in your swing? JOHN MALLINGER: Not really, I just get a little tentative through the ball, so sometimes I start losing the ball to the right a little bit. I think it's more of a trust issue. Your body just reacts to how your body feels. Hopefully I'll get some treatment and should be good for the rest of the week. Q. Does the weather at all kind of contribute -- JOHN MALLINGER: I think a lot. This whole West Coast has been pretty cold, and I think today was the first time I took off a sweater in a month. It definitely doesn't help. But that's just the way it is, you know? End of FastScripts |
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