	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

FRYS.COM OPEN

October 24, 2008

Arron Oberholser

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

DOUG MILNE: Arron, thanks for joining us today, 65 after round 1 of the FRYS.com Open, 64 today after round 2. You talked yesterday about confidence and you weren't sure if this was the buildup that you need. Obviously after the 64 today, still intact. Just a couple comments on the round today.
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Round was good. Based on yesterday's score, you try to play day-to-day, but today was a good day. Today I got into a good rhythm off the start and started striking the ball well from tee one, and really just hit a couple wayward irons.
Other than that, I mean, my driver was really good today. I hit 14 fairways. Irons were very solid. I could make some improvements, but other than -- they were real solid and I putted well. It was all the ingredients you need to shoot a 64.

Q. Any issues with the wrist?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Zero.

Q. You talked at length about the wrist thing yesterday, but how discouraged were you in the middle of that whole process?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: I was discouraged when the first guy didn't fix it the right way. But after I was told that I was going to have a second surgery, I was a little down. But I realized that this guy had figured it out, the second guy figured it out, and that I wasn't going to have any further problems, because he said, look, this is not a big issue, this is just bone spurring, and that's it; spurring is easy to fix.

Q. Getting the swing back was the hard part?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Actually, no. I'll be honest with you, I made a decision to change teachers, and the good thing was that I hadn't been playing so I hadn't been working on any bad habits, which this injury had forced me to kind of go to. I didn't want to get into the ball because of my hand the last year and a half, so now I said I was going to start with a fresh slate and really no bad habits. So it's actually been a blessing in disguise to a certain extent because now I'm coming out here with a fresh look and a fresh start, and getting into the tournament rhythm of things takes some time. I didn't realize it was only going to take three rounds (laughter), but you know, obviously there's two more rounds to go, but I like the position I'm sitting in without a doubt.

Q. Did you need to make any equipment changes coming back from the injury and with your new instructors?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: I didn't need to make any equipment changes, but I did. I changed my driver; I changed my 3-wood; and I changed my hybrid club to the newer models that my company makes. Other than that, I didn't change my golf ball. I'm playing the same irons I've had for two years, same wedges I've had for three or four years, and the putter is whatever is working that week that I can find in my closet.

Q. Does it help that you're playing at basically home?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Oh, yeah, that always helps, because I'm going out there, and to me, it's just another Desert Marlin, the fun tournament we play out here at the beginning of the year that Dell puts on out here, and the boys, and to me it's just like that. I'm just going out there and -- I've played this golf course so many times, and I've been in every spot imaginable, so I'm very comfortable around it, and I really have no fear of any golf shot out there. Some are scarier than others, but I really don't fear any golf shots out there.

Q. Would you be able to shoot these scores at another course you weren't as comfortable at?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Sure.

Q. Your second week back?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: I don't know about that. I think so, probably, yeah.

Q. How far do you live from here?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Ten minutes north.

Q. When did you first play this course?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: This was my practice facility when I first moved down here in 2002. I've probably got at least 75 rounds on this thing, at least.

Q. Does that make you temper any of the excitement you might feel about the quality of your first two rounds, the fact that you know this course so well?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: No, I'm excited about the way I'm playing. Obviously it's different when you're playing in a PGA TOUR event. You don't try to make it different, but it is a little different.
My caddie said the greatest thing. When you're starting back up, you've got to get back into it a little bit and it's a little different mindset. He said, "Just don't play the tournament, play the golf course." When I play my best, I play the golf course, I don't play the tournament. I don't care that I'm in a tournament. I'm just -- it's just me and the golf course, that's it. I don't care who's doing what, I don't care who's in the lead, who's making birdies, who's not. I really don't pay attention to leaderboards. I'm just playing the golf course.
That's what I've been doing the last two rounds, that's what I did last week, and that's what I'm going to try to continue to do on the weekend. I'm not going to get locked up in playing a tournament; I'm going to continue to play the golf course.

Q. What about the conditions out there?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: They're wonderful. Ernie has done a phenomenal job. I was a little worried to be honest with you. Being a native down here and understanding the weather patterns and thinking when they overseeded as early as they did, if they got some hot weeks the overseed was going to burn out and it wouldn't germinate and we've have some bare patches in spots. But for the most part Ernie guessed right and he's done a phenomenal job. He's kept it real wet and he's had some cool overnight temperatures in the last couple weeks, and the course looks fantastic.

Q. And your birdies today, were there any long bombs that you knocked in?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: One seagoer on No. 5 (laughter). I hit a good iron, but we guessed the wrong club and I came up just on the front, a couple feet onto the green, and the pin was back right. It had to be 65 feet, and I made that. Those are bonuses.

Q. It will take a couple of those to win this thing the way people are playing?
ARRON OBERHOLSER: I hate guessing numbers. I never guess numbers. But as far as -- I try not to, at least. By my account, the last two weeks, last week and this week, it's like playing in a dome. You're going to have to keep firing at flagsticks and stay aggressive. Pars aren't going to win golf tournaments on golf courses like this.
This golf course has teeth, it really does. But it has teeth when the wind blows, and it has teeth when they really let it firm up and get really fast and firm, which I imagine that Dell might do on the weekend. He might let it get a little quicker and a little faster. I hope he does at least, because then that means you've really got to strike your ball well.
DOUG MILNE: You talked about 5. If you wouldn't mind running us through some of your other birdies and just give us some clubs and description.
ARRON OBERHOLSER: Sure. No. 2 was a 3-wood and a sand wedge to about six feet, made it.
No. 3 was a driver and an 8-iron to about 15 feet, made that.
6 was a hybrid and a little pitching wedge to 20 feet or so, 18, 20 feet, made that.
8 was a poor swing.
10 was a hybrid and a pitching wedge to about five, six feet, made that.
11 was a driver, a 7-iron and a pitching wedge to six inches.
13, poor swing.
14, driver and a 9-iron to about five, six feet, made that.
And then 17, that was probably my best birdie of the day to be honest with you. When you can pick one up on that hole, that's a great birdie. I hit driver and a 6-iron to about -- I don't know, I'm guessing 25 feet, and made that, just perfect speed, perfect line, the whole nine yards. It was a well played hole.
DOUG MILNE: Arron, thanks for coming in.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297