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SHELL HOUSTON OPENApril 3, 2009James NittiesHUMBLE, TEXAS MARK WILLIAMS: James, good playing today. Welcome to the interview room. 66 today at the Shell Houston Open. 6-under par after the first round. Just talk a little about your round and having to come back after starting -- I guess you played three holes yesterday? JAMES NITTIES: Yes. MARK WILLIAMS: Just talk about your round and how you dealt with it today. Good playing. JAMES NITTIES: Yeah. Well, we started in blustering, windy conditions yesterday, which is sometimes pretty cool because that's how it is in a lot of the events I played in. Usually courses similar to this, hard and fast, and so also looking forward to it, but it was getting to the point where it was -- you couldn't get comfortable over putts. And I spoke to my playing partner, and we were talking about it before we went out. We're not going to last six holes out here. It was just -- you could just see it, the greens were so quick. I got off to a good start. Actually I was 1-over -- 1-under through 3 and played the par 5 13th, which was -- I was struggling to get out of the hazard, which is not a big carry for two shots. Hit it over the back and got called and had a really tough chip downwind. I was actually happy it got called. Came back this morning and it was perfect. Pretty much the ideal conditions. I expected the scores to be much better and yeah. So started off well, good up-and-down from over the back there, holed a good putt, and made a couple good up-and-downs early and finally got comfortable in the round and just started playing pretty smart, sort of hit away from red light pins and went at green light pins and was 2-under through 9, which was good, and then the back-9 I played pretty solid. I mean, I just hit close to 15 feet all day and then made a couple 15-footers, and then I was 4-under and then made a nice long putt on I think it was the 7th hole and got me to 5 and then 8, I hit drive, 5-wood to about 20 feet and hit a fantastic putt there. Probably the best putt I hit all day and didn't go in and yeah, then good solid shot into 9 and 6-under. MARK WILLIAMS: Before we open up for questions, do you expect the score to be leading at the end of the day? JAMES NITTIES: I mean, as I said, it's perfect out there. As good as this field is, I wouldn't expect it -- I mean, I wouldn't expect anyone to go crazy. I wouldn't expect to be coming 3rd, 4th, but I expect a couple guys maybe shoot 7, and if not, I'll be tied with about three, four guys I'm pretty sure. It's ideal conditions out there. As I said, the field is so good. Q. If this is perfect, what would you describe yesterday as? JAMES NITTIES: A challenge, probably. I mean yesterday, some of the holes -- I look forward to those days because it separates the men from the boys. You can't get away with poor shots. A windy day like yesterday takes a lot out of you. There's a couple spots you could get unlucky in that sort of wind. As I had said, if the greens were running ten on the stimp, it would have been a great day to play because it was a perfect day. Kind of a weird feeling. I went to the movies, and there's not a cloud in the sky and we're not playing golf. It's kind of a -- it's a weird feeling like that. In the end, I mean it would have been -- if we played the whole day in that and then the guys coming from the afternoon played the whole day in there, it would have been a pretty lopsided field considering it's sunny both days. Q. See anything any good yesterday? JAMES NITTIES: Saw "The Knowing." It wasn't great but killed some time. Q. How big was the putt on 13 coming right out of the chute? That wasn't an easy par save. JAMES NITTIES: I was practicing that off the down slope the shot before I went out, and I hit it perfect. I hit it too good. I landed it right on the down slope. I figured it was -- I stiffed it. And somehow, you know, you're coming out of wet grass. It's dewy, it's early, it's cold. The greens are harder, the ball is harder. You aren't expecting -- I left it 15 feet short. I executed too much of a good shot, and then I was happy. When a hole a putt like that to start the day, it builds your confidence a lot more and you feel like you got away with something, because all night I'm thinking I got a tough up-and-down. I told people I was probably going to be even after that. It's a really good confidence booster and positive start to the day. Q. How much advantage was it, you were in the last group going out yesterday. You played fewer holes in the wind that. Some guys played nine, ten, 11 holes. JAMES NITTIES: Definitely. In one sense it was an advantage because I wake up at -- I woke up for my 9:00 tee time. I was lying in bed, and I looked at my phone. We had an hour delay, so I just set my alarm for another hour. I wake up again, the same thing. So I went back to sleep for two extra hours and then another 30 minutes. So if I was a 7:00 tee time, I would have been at the course waiting around. I got the nice extra two and half hours of sleep. I went on to the course yesterday. We only played a couple holes. It helps. It's really the only time I've felt lucky to be hitting off in the Monday qualifier or the last groups. So, as I said, I can't complain about hitting it because everybody has to work their way up through the ranks. I'm not a morning person. I loved the extra sleep. Q. James, you had a good start at FBR Open. Overall, what's the season been like for you? JAMES NITTIES: It's been good. The start of the season, I missed the first two cuts. I didn't play that bad. Just a couple bad holes here and there and just sort of adjusting to The Tour. And the FBR was pretty much the first event that felt like a PGA Tour event, because Hawaii is just "cas," and Bob Hope you play with amateurs everyday. The FBR had the real tournament feel to it. I was a little disappointed there because I had a good chance to win, and I didn't feel like I fell apart or anything. Hit a couple loose shots down there. Didn't close it out. I really felt comfortable. Like a lot of people asked me, "You feel comfortable? You're a rookie. How are you doing so well?" I went, "I've played at the highest level with Tour players." I played 20 events with 20-plus Tour players, and I've lead five, six of those. It got to be about the sixth, seventh event where I'm like I know I belong. I'm not nervous. I don't think I'm out of my element. The season has been great. I've had a couple opportunities to win tournaments, you know. I was leading Honda at one stage through three rounds, and I lead FBR and Mexico I played well. Yes. Last week I really felt like I had a good chance except for a triple and a bogey in two holes on Sunday. You know, if I feel like I'm not getting the most of my game and I'm in contention, it's a good feeling for when I'm actually going to be on. Some guys get the most out of their game and they do it consistently, and I'm still dropping a couple stupid shots here and there, and that's it. If I know that I've got a couple shots up my sleeve and I'm not playing my best, I'm still in contention, it's a good feeling to have. Q. So in saying that, you sort of come here with the notion of trying to turn this into Augusta or do you feel -- JAMES NITTIES: You don't come -- I've never won a tournament, period, so I didn't come here thinking, you know -- I'm a realistic type of guy. I'm not the type of guy saying I'm going to be No. 1 in the world because I'm realistic. Tiger is just a freak. So I wouldn't come here thinking -- you know, I've never won a tournament before. So you talk to your mates. "How big would it be if you won this week?" So it's always like -- I know it's pretty cliché, but you sort of play and see what happens. I've made a big enough reputation to be one of those guys that's a favorite to win this week. I never think like that, but if I find myself -- if I find myself leading like I am now, you're going to reassess your goals. I'm more of a realistic thinker. My main goal is to put in good results. I know I'm going to play in Majors but just to concentrate on establishing myself on the PGA Tour. Q. What do you see yourself as, as sort of a realist? JAMES NITTIES: A dark horse. I mean, my goal is to get to Top-10 in the world. If I can do that, then I'll reassess my goals. As long as Tiger is around, I'm never going to get to No. 1 in the world. That's impossible. I've got a life, and I play golf. And if I'm No. 2 in the world, no one is going to know me, and I'll still steal a couple Majors off him. But it annoys me when people come out and they just say they're going to be No. 1, when they just clearly know that it's impossible to beat the best of all time. So, I mean, I see myself as a guy that my game has really improved coming out on The PGA Tour. I've never had a schedule. I've always been that guy just chasing starts. When I've had my starts in Australia, I always get four in the end of the year. I always end up winning one, the last two because I start getting into the routine probably. I found that out here I've become a better player because I've got a schedule and I know where I'm playing. Q. How many times did you go to Q-School? JAMES NITTIES: Three times. Four times, sorry. I went -- first year I missed final stage by a shot. Second year I missed final by about four shots. Last year I missed first, and two years ago I missed first, and this year I went straight through the final. Q. James, does this course fit your game well? JAMES NITTIES: Yeah. I like tough courses. So, you know, predominantly courses like the Honda and Tampa and Bay Hill and these -- I like ball striker courses. You know, I don't like to feel like I have to make every putt and get up and down from 100 yards because I'm still improving that part of my game. I like ball striking courses and you make a birdie, you feel like you've picked up spots. That's the sort of courses I like. I know -- any course is easy on a perfect day. I'm not saying it's easy out here, but any course plays at its weakness on a perfect day. These courses are a good test. Q. For those of who aren't familiar with your back story, the whole arthritis situation, can you explain to us where that stands now? JAMES NITTIES: I'll sum it up pretty quickly for you. When I was 22 I got juvenile arthritis. Didn't even know what it was, and it's not really known over here in America. Australia knows more about it because we've had more cases or something. I was out of action for -- I was pretty much crippled for about a year. I wouldn't say crippled. I was pretty much -- I couldn't walk and move for about six months and then just started gaining weight and getting back to normal stuff the next six months, and then it's been -- there's been no excuses after that. After about a good year and a half, it probably cost me -- I know what it is, and I've got medication for it and if it ever flares up -- like yesterday it flared up a little bit, but I just -- take an extra bit of medication and it's gone. Even at its worst now, I can still play. I just take painkillers. So now that I know what it is, I can manage it and it's really -- I can't use it as any sort of excuse. I'm pretty lucky that I've got it in the fact that in the last five years, I've not had any problems playing golf. Q. Other than setting you back a little bit in development, it doesn't affect you at all? JAMES NITTIES: No. Hawaii it was pretty bad. But, as I said, to the point where I can -- if my doctor said -- my specialist said, "If you can go through the pain, you're not going to make it worse." I just take some painkillers, or me knowing that swinging through it and knowing that it's hurting and it's not going to ruin anything long-term is fine with me. I can deal with the pain. As I said, yeah, I mean Hawaii was a bit sore, a couple days here and there, if your immune system is down a little bit. Apart from that, it's fine. Q. Where is the pain at? JAMES NITTIES: Right hip. When I had it, it was like someone sticking a screwdriver in there and turning it, but now it's just like -- really dull, sort of like a back pain. One of those things. Q. How long was it bothering you before you found out what it was? JAMES NITTIES: Two weeks. That third opinion I got, they got it right. I was pretty much in the hospital for two weeks, used as a pin cushion, and it moves from joint to joint. So it was in my hip it started. Then it went to my right knee, which was the size of a football. And it's the fluid gets into the joint and can't move through. It just builds up. And it's about two and a half weeks where they started -- it was about six weeks before I was -- I was on crutches after about six weeks. Then I was able to fly home after about two and a half months, three months. Q. Have you shaken it completely now? JAMES NITTIES: It's with me for life. As I said, it flares up here and there, but I use painkillers or whatever. I just know it's not going to get to the point that it was back then, but it was a little disappointing because that was my first year on Tour. It blew all of that out of the water. The next year I was just getting back trying to play. And I played a mini Tour. Pretty much two years I just tried to get my golf game back. That's the only hurt. Q. Going to ask you something a little less serious. How difficult is it to find a cap without a logo on it these days? JAMES NITTIES: Quit easily. Went down to the local lid store in the shopping mall, bam, two perfect hats. Q. You have a cap deal? JAMES NITTIES: None. It's their loss. No one wants to put anything on it. Q. How much did you pay for the cap? JAMES NITTIES: It's a good quality hat. I got two for 30 bucks. I get a lot of comments on the hats. I still want to look good, and I'm not just going to get some cheap thing. It looks cool, so I don't mind if there's nothing on there. I don't stress about money or anything. Q. So why haven't you got some sort of equipment deal or sponsorship deals with guys like Titleist or Callaway? JAMES NITTIES: I'm with Callaway bag, ball, and club, I wanted to keep my set -- I didn't want to sign -- there's a lot of guys that come out on Tour and sign for like -- just the dollar signs. I'm like, I'm not worried about -- it's not like -- I actually was in debt the start of this year, but I knew -- I'm not going to sign just for easy money if it's going to jeopardize the way I play. I just wanted to keep my whole set, the set I've been using, because I know if I play well, that side of it will sort itself out. Obviously with the economy, there wasn't a lot of guys -- I came out of Q-School. No one -- I haven't done that much apart from here and there. You can't blame guys that aren't going to offer me big dollars because I'm just on the PGA Tour. It's not like it used to be. So with the economy and -- Callaway, I was pretty happy with the deal they gave me, and I only went to the ball because I found it really good. And I'm with Oakley for clothes apart from hat, and Oakley is awesome. I want to take the old man out with golf a little bit and bring the sort of edgy side back into it, and Oakley is definitely -- great team of people and awesome clothes. It's really good. MARK WILLIAMS: James, we appreciate you coming in, and maybe if you win this week, I know it's a long way, I'm sure you've have a hat deal after that. JAMES NITTIES: Sweet, thanks. End of FastScripts |
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