	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

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

October 31, 2009

Russ Cochran

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA

DAVE SENKO: Well, Russ, thanks for joining us. 68 today, and you're 13-Under for the tournament. Maybe just a quick rundown on your day. Looks like six birdies and two bogeys.
RUSS COCHRAN: Yeah, I had a chance to have a real good round today, I think, but drove it in the rough a few too many times. Kind of killed the momentum a little bit on No. 5, and then drove it just in the first cut on 10 as well. So those were a little problematic there.
And then the par-5s I felt like I played a little soft, a little weak. Other than that, it was a good, solid day for me. I never know what the day is gonna bring. I'm kind of up and down a little bit lately, but posted very good scores in a good scoring mode.
DAVE SENKO: Maybe get your birdies real quick. You started at No. 1. Go through your shot sequence on birdies 1 and 3.
RUSS COCHRAN: Yeah, I hit driver off the first tee. I been hitting 3-wood. I went ahead and hit driver there and hit a little pitching wedge, just a little 115-yard pitching wedge, in there about maybe seven, eight feet and made that.
Went to No. 3, hit a driver and a 9-iron to about four feet there, maybe five feet, and made that.
DAVE SENKO: Bogey on 5.
RUSS COCHRAN: Bogey at 5. I drove in the right rough. I was behind that tree, and tried to catch a 9-iron. It didn't come out real well out of the rough, and I was on the front part of the fringe there off the green and 3-putted from that point. First putt was about 12 feet short, so not a good first putt, and made bogey.
No. 7, I hit a 6-iron in there about four feet right of the hole. Made a nice little putt there. You know, felt like it was a tough little slider to make, and knocked that one in.
Then went to -- missed No. 8 there. Drove it in the rough again.
The 9, I hit a good drive and had 72 yards to the hole and hit it in there about four feet again, five feet something.
Then go to 10. Hit it in the left -- first cut to the left, and hit a good -- hit a 7-iron out of there. A little too much club, I think. They been come out fluffy out of the rough, and this one came out pretty fast and went onto the hill back behind the green. Impossible up-and-down. Lucky to get away with bogey, so...
Go over to 13. I hit a drive in the fairway and hit a hybrid onto the green about 30 feet and two-putted for birdie.
Then drove it in the rough on 16. Pretty good birdie hole there and ended up making par.
17, I hit an 8-iron in there about two feet and made that for birdie.
DAVE SENKO: Questions.

Q. Really a tale of two seasons for you, kind of before the U.S. Senior Open and after. Could you talk a little bit about that?
RUSS COCHRAN: Yeah, it really is. My son and I and family and everybody were thinking that if we had a shot to kind of get it going to year, that it would come after or during the two events, the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior British.
Went to Sunningdale and played four straight days there. You're walking and getting a rhythm and stuff. You know, not a lot of people talk about that, but when you first get on the tour, just jumping in carts, you know, just off and on, and is your caddie gonna take the cart? Are you gonna take it? Who wants to walk? Who wants to ride?
It's a little bit different, plus the three days as well. So we were thinking it might get a little momentum going in those two events back to back, four-day walking events.
Sure enough, I played pretty well at the Senior British and didn't get the scoring out of it that I needed to. The greens were a little too tough. And then I had a great weekend at the U.S. Senior Open there and shot, I think, 12-under on the weekend. That'll do it at most majors. You know, that helps the cause.
So I think that was huge for me. Not only did the confidence started rolling in a little bit, but just as importantly, you know, it's set me up to where I knew the reshuffle was coming in as well. And the tournaments that I wasn't getting in or wasn't Monday qualified for, when the reshuffle came about, I knew I was gonna get in like the last six events or something.
You're right. That kind of flipped the switch. It got me looking forward to playing. It's a very hard thing when you're out there Monday qualifying to stay positive. You know, I finished about sixth or seventh in this the first tournament, and I don't think I played again for about two, two and a half months. It's very tough.
But, you know, we knew it was a long year. You're right, that U.S. Senior Open kind of started it all.

Q. The par-5s on this course, if you par, does it almost seem like bogeys?
RUSS COCHRAN: Well, you know, you do know that if you drive it well -- and the pins are tough and stuff -- but if you drive the ball well, for instance on 16 there, you're gonna have a pretty good chance to hit that green or have a good chance at birdie.
If you drive it in the rough and get it up around the green and have a birdie putt, that's one thing. I blew myself out of that hole and No. 8 as well. If you miss those fairways -- you know, I laid up in the rough both times and then played my third shot out of the rough.
So it's -- that's discouraging. But there are a lot of holes out there and a lot of good pins that -- a lot of good holes that catch your attention and a lot of good pins.
You know, overall, I felt like I kept plugging away and pretty good score.

Q. (Question regarding pairing.)
RUSS COCHRAN: You know, not when he's that far ahead. You know, it's gonna be probably a little bit odd because he's -- we'll just be doing our thing. I know he's not gonna be paying attention to me much, and I won't be to him much either.
You know, he's playing awfully well. He's a heck of a player. I never have been real good at trying to work off somebody here or do something there. I just go out and kind of play.
I can tell you I'm really, really enjoying the Champions Tour. You know, I don't know what I'm gonna do this winter as far as I'm gonna play some down in Florida and kind of hang my hat down there. But I'm looking forward to the last rounds to kind of top the year off.

Q. How hard has it been to knock the competitive rust off given your late 40s were injuries and you were off the circuit pretty much?
RUSS COCHRAN: You know, I mean, deep down, when -- even when you're watching, if you played for a long time and you turn on the television and you have any interest of friends or anything out there, it's almost like you're playing along with them.
I really didn't let myself get involved in anything until the last year. Then you start trying to tell yourself, Hey, what's it gonna be like? You start taking yourself through this process. I think I've done some things well. You know, I've jumped over some hurdles.
But, you know, every time you do something well, it comes on pretty fast, and you've gotta be ready to answer the bell the very next time or round or whatever. So I'm still working on that.
I think, you know, it's important for me to get in as many of these last groups as I can and play with these great players and stuff. Because if I want to win certainly again and often, you know, I've gotta get a lot better at doing that.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297