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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 21, 2009

James Nitties

IRVING, TEXAS

MARK WILLIAMS: James Nitties, welcome to the interview room after a 5-under 65 in the opening round, four birdies to finish, obviously some pretty good play on the day. Talk about it.
JAMES NITTIES: It was a perfect day, so the preparation was all good to start the day. I hit it all right last week, so I was feeling comfortable, but you never know how you're going to hit it. I got out there and started -- hit one in the water on the 4th and made a good bogey. And then hit it close on the next and birdied the par-5. So I was sort of 1-under all day and just cruising.
Looking at the scores, they weren't that good, so it didn't put any pressure on me to do anything crazy, so I just went about my business and struck it pretty solid all the way through the middle of the round. Yeah, a couple good putts at the last couple holes, and there you go, I'm 5-under, so I was pretty happy.

Q. You've had a couple of visits in the media rooms with us in your rookie year. Are you getting used to it out here on the PGA TOUR?
JAMES NITTIES: Yeah, I don't know if it's the term of getting used to it. Put it this way: I'm glad to be here. When I get used to it, I think I'll be an established guy on the PGA TOUR, but not yet. But no, it's always good to make a trip and see you, to the media room.

Q. You were 1-under after 14. Are you surprised to finish 5-under, or did you feel that the birdies were coming?
JAMES NITTIES: I mean, obviously I was 1-under through 14 out there and I only had four to go. I was surprised to finish 5-under. Well, I always knew we had that easy par-5 coming up, the 16th, so in my mind I was thinking 2-under I'll be happy with. It's just a solid day. I was hitting it pretty decent all day. I holed a lot of good six- to eight-footers or five-footers, the ones you should hole, but didn't hole anything over it.
And then the last couple holes, I hit one to about four feet on 15, and then six feet on 16, and then 10 feet on 17 and then a foot on 18. It does help, yeah.
Surprised? I'm not totally surprised, but happy, put it that way.

Q. Was this a great ball-striking round, or what would you attribute everything to?
JAMES NITTIES: As I keep harping on, the scores weren't fantastic. I mean, I haven't looked at them. All I could see is what was leading. I'm sure there's a lot of guys bunched at like 2 and 3. But yeah, it wasn't one of my best ball-striking rounds. It was a smart round of golf for me, you know? As I said, when I got in trouble I holed a good six-footer for par, or I always hit it to around 15 feet for birdie and took advantage of the par-5s, had small putts there, small clubs in for two.
As I said, it was not the best ball-striking round, but it was a smart round, and then obviously I struck it really well the last five holes.

Q. Did you learn anything today that you can use throughout the rest of the tournament, just an adjustment to the course and everything?
JAMES NITTIES: Yeah, in the practice round I liked the course. I wouldn't say it suits me perfectly, but I just enjoy Texas golf. As I said, I played well last week and just didn't really take full advantage of my opportunities. I felt good out there.
The greens are beautiful. If you hit a good putt, they go in. I don't know, for tomorrow, I'm off at 7:25, which is so early (laughter), but I think just preparation for tomorrow, getting myself fully awake before I tee it off.

Q. The good scores today came in the morning it seemed, the more consistent group of better scores.
JAMES NITTIES: Yeah, but those guys love getting up at the crack of dawn. I'm a 9:00 o'clock, 10:00 o'clock get-up type of guy.

Q. Honestly, when people see your name, a lot of them are going to go, "Who is this guy?" You're a rookie. How does it feel when people will start taking notice when you do things like that?
JAMES NITTIES: I mean, it's great. I got more supporters when I did the "Big Break" TV show than I thought. I don't really want to be remembered for the "Big Break" TV show, because I was sort of an established player in Australia and an amateur golfer before and all that and did well at professional events in Australia. I always said, give me a full schedule and I'll be in this position a lot more.
I'm putting myself more and more in this position, and I've led about three or four events this year and I haven't really closed them out like I wanted to. I'm just not going to get ahead of myself this week. As I said, it wasn't my best ball-striking day, and I got away with a good score, so hopefully I can start playing really well and finish off a tournament that I can be satisfied with.

Q. The media guide says, "clubbing, girls, movies," your special interests. This will probably be one of your favorite tournaments then I'm guessing.
JAMES NITTIES: I just said in an interview before that there's a lot of good sights out here, but my best result of the year was at one of the biggest party events of the PGA TOUR and no one thought I would do half decent in that. I know when to put distractions and golf into two separate parts.
Yeah, I mean, as I said, I'm pretty brutally honest with my media guide there, but really, I'm exactly like any other single 26 year old. I love going to the movies, I love hanging out with mates and having a couple drinks in bars and chasing girls. It's typical of a guy -- I'm just the only one that actually says it and doesn't say I like hanging out and fishing, when I really do normal stuff.
I mean, I could be monotone and boring for you guys, but that just wouldn't be fun.

Q. Still playing poker?
JAMES NITTIES: Actually I'm not playing poker at all, really. I think I lost it with the craze. It's one of those games you've got to really play over and over and be good at, and I am sick of all the guys that think they're the best in the world and all the stuff that goes on at the poker table. When I go home I'll go to the casino and play a couple cash games here and there, but I don't look for casinos to go and play like in the old days.

Q. During the practice rounds did you find any good places to go in the area?
JAMES NITTIES: Well, it's funny you say that because me and my caddie are on an alcohol ban for six weeks. I don't drink alcohol much, but once a week I like to go out and have a couple beers after the tournament is over, and we're off all that. My main focus is because I'm playing five weeks in a row I'm going to be working hard on my fitness, and I don't usually play that many weeks in a row. Every Monday is my gym day, and obviously if I don't play too well and have a weekend off, I'll work hard at the gym.
It's funny because we went into Cool River the other night, and everyone is laughing at us because we're drinking Coke and cranberry, and then we went to Tommy Armour's party, which I'm sure you've heard about, and we both had a Red Bull or a water bottle in our hands. It's not easy, but I just made an executive decision where I have to play well over the next five weeks. It's PGA TOUR; it's not just fun and games out here.
MARK WILLIAMS: I want to ask you about the blank hat. We talked about that in Houston when you did well in the first round. Keep performing like this, someone is going to notice someday. Any news?
JAMES NITTIES: I think people take it for granted because one day I'm going to win with a blank hat on, and I think it would be pretty cool.
I'm not looking for -- as I said, if I play well, the money side of golf will sort itself out. I'm not looking to squeeze every dollar out of it as I can. I'm not going to sign with -- not that I've had many offers, but I'm not going to go with Jimmy's Butcher Shop just because it's not classy and doesn't look good. One of these days, my goal is to win with a blank hat. Hopefully it's this week or next week or whatever.
MARK WILLIAMS: Qualifying for the British Open is on Monday. Are you entered in that, playing in that?
JAMES NITTIES: No, I'm not. I felt that I want to stay and play in -- majors are awesome and I'd love to play majors as much as I can, but my main focus is establishing myself on the PGA TOUR, and I just feel like it takes -- it's hard to say, but it sort of rocks your -- I like playing in America, and then it sort of takes two weeks out of your schedule going over there, and then you come back, and I just feel that if I got in on my own merit, I would have played for sure. But I didn't really want to qualify.

Q. The six-week self-imposed alcohol ban, is that just experimental to see how it goes? You've got a long stretch playing in a row, and that's essentially the logic there?
JAMES NITTIES: I mean, one thing on a highlight, I don't like alcohol anyway, so I'm not an alcoholic or anything. I love the whole going out and having fun with my friends, and it's always easy to have a couple beers. Before Q-school, two months I spent just working hard at the gym, not really socializing out in clubs and not really drinking at all, and worked with my coach, and that got me to where I am right now. I missed a couple cuts, I missed three cuts in a row prior to last week, and I just figured, well, if I'm going to play five, maybe six events in a row being the U.S. Open, I've got to be as sharp as possible and as fit as possible because I'd rarely play that many in a row.
I would usually feel a bit dusty on Monday mornings, which is usually my travel day; now I want to be going to the gym and feeling pretty sharp.

Q. So it started in San Antonio and this is week two?
JAMES NITTIES: Yeah.
MARK WILLIAMS: Thanks, appreciate your time, and all the best for the rest of the week.

End of FastScripts

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