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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

April 2, 2010

Alex Prugh

HUMBLE, TEXAS

JOHN BUSH: Okay. We'd like to welcome Alex Prugh into the interview room after a 6-under par 66. Alex, that was quite a round. Six birdies on your card, including one double bogey. Nice playing out there overall.
ALEX PRUGH: Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Fortunately, I just got the putter rolling and just took a couple too many shots on that one hole. Besides that, it wasn't too bad.
JOHN BUSH: It's extremely windy out there. How does this round rank up there with the best you've had?
ALEX PRUGH: It was definitely a good one. I just worked real hard at keeping the ball in play, you know, trying to keep it out of the fairway bunkers, that's goal one.
Next one, getting on the green somewhere. If it's near the hole, that's great. Then when you make some putts, I mean, it seemed like I made a couple of them, so that kind of helps.
JOHN BUSH: Tied at 8-under par with Cameron Percy, couple Nationwide Tour grads from last year. Just comment real quickly on how that Tour helped prepare you for the PGA TOUR already with three Top-10s.
ALEX PRUGH: I think the Nationwide Tour is a great tour. I think it definitely prepared me a ton for this Tour. The level of competition out there is great, and it's just a great camaraderie out there.
Everybody is trying to get that Top 25 spot. And, you know, it's a great place to relax and learn to kind of -- develop your game a little bit. It definitely makes the transition out here to the PGA TOUR a ton easier.

Q. You and Cameron have any duals there when you played together?
ALEX PRUGH: We haven't had any duals. We played together a couple times. We always joke around and have fun together.

Q. Last year, could you imagine you and the Nationwide guy playing together in the last pairing?
ALEX PRUGH: Definitely. Why not? I know Cameron is a very good golfer as well. If I wasn't out here, I mean, I'm not sure what I'd be doing if I wasn't wanting to win or compete to win.
And so, I mean, I definitely imagine it. I believe my game is very good right now, and obviously his is, too. 8-under for these couple of rounds on this course and the green conditions and winds is pretty good, I think.

Q. Tell me about what happened on No. 3?
ALEX PRUGH: I hit a 3-wood over to the right, you know. I thought it was going to be just short of the bunker on the right side, and it ended up kicking right, caught the side of the path a couple times. It went onto this tree well, and I was actually pretty dang lucky just to get it out in play, you know.
I felt like I was chopping at a tree with an ax, basically. You know, I coming that steep down at it. And got it back out in the fairway, probably just pushing a little too much. Had a nice little 9-iron in. Just shoved it to the right and went in the bunker.
Didn't get up and down, unfortunately, but it was a tough break on that tee shot. Just kept on rolling and was in a place where I was lucky to even move it.

Q. What was your mindset after that? I know you played long enough.
ALEX PRUGH: You know, fortunately you got a little bit of walk there from the 3rd to 4th green. Tried to give myself a little pep talk. Then -- even then I hit a poor drive into the fairway bunker and hit an okay layup shot, but I was still in the right rough.
Then honestly, my next shot was -- I thought I missed it in the right bunker, which is one place you can't miss it again. But I regrouped myself on that walk up there. You hit three kind bad shots on this hole, but you have a birdie op, still. I rolled that one in, and right there I think that put my round around a little bit and gained a little confidence.

Q. You'll be starting a little bit later tomorrow, obviously. Will that have any impact on the way you prepare or the way you think this course will play, weather conditions remaining constant?
ALEX PRUGH: I think the biggest thing is I get a couple extra hours of sleep. I'm not going to lie (laughter). I played late yesterday. I was the very last time in. I was practically finishing in the dark. I think I got the brunt of the wind for the most part, and, you know, everybody has got to play it.
Could there be a little difference between morning and afternoon? It all has to do with Mother Nature. The course realistically is firm, and the greens are going to be firm. I never putted greens as pure as these ones are.
Even playing in the last group yesterday with a hundred and however many people were playing, having trampled on the greens, they're still pretty good.

Q. Talked to Cameron a little bit about being a rookie out here and every course is different, the whole travel plan is different and challenging for you. It's not just golf. Can you talk about some of those challenges you've faced this season so far?
ALEX PRUGH: I don't think I've had a ton of challenges. Fortunately, I did get off to a good start. I had a Top-10 a couple times earlier which guarantees you pretty much into that next event.
The only thing that is a little challenging is the fact early in the year and now it's kind of -- sometimes it's am I getting into that event or not? Our category's not the highest of categories, and if you're not playing well, it is kind of a coin flip when you're sitting there, having to wait till the Friday before pretty much to make travel plans. And then it's kind of last minute and you're spending a little bit more.
But, you know, fortunately the PGA Tour takes care of us very well out here. We're very grateful of that. They help us in any way we need, and that's just a phone call away. And so that makes it a ton easier.

Q. Alex, I'm curious at this point, what are your plans for next week?
ALEX PRUGH: Going home unless I win. If I win, then I might just take the Masters off, actually (laughter). That would be a tough one to take off. I definitely would be calling my fiancee and catching her a flight out here, tell her to quit her job or something like that.

Q. Who else would be flying in?
ALEX PRUGH: That's up to them. She's the only one that I worry about, honestly (laughter). I'm sure I'd probably have a couple friends that would want to come.
JOHN BUSH: All right. Let's go through the card real quick, Alex. Got out of the gates with a birdie on No. 1.
ALEX PRUGH: Yeah. It was a nice -- not a great job. Fortunately, we were into the wind, because I actually miss-hit it. Thought it was going in the left bunker, but was enough into the wind that it stayed short in the rough and pushed a nice little 8-iron in there to 2 feet or so.
JOHN BUSH: How long would you say the putt was No. 4?
ALEX PRUGH: I'm guessing probably about 15 feet.
JOHN BUSH: Three in a row starting on No. 6.
ALEX PRUGH: No. 6, hit a great drive in there, hit a nice pitching wedge from 153, straight downwind. I had to back off that putt a ton of times just 'cause it should have been breaking right, but the wind is going left. Fortunately made a good, solid probably 10-foot putt there for birdie.
The next hole, right when I hit my shot, I hit a nice little draw 8-iron against the wind, I knew it was going to be on the green. I immediately went running because I did not want that shot over again. It was a very difficult shot, and I had executed it perfectly and was fortunate -- I had another downhill, downwind putt. Made a nice little, probably 8-foot putt there.
Then No. 8, hit a perfect drive but just wasn't quite close enough to get there in 2. So I laid up. Honestly hit a very bad second -- or third shot and was below the tier and made a pretty good ball in there. Right when I hit my putt, I said get lucky. It had to hit something, and fortunately it hit the dead center of the cup or it was going to be about 7 feet by.

Q. No. 12.
ALEX PRUGH: No. 12.
JOHN BUSH: Short par 4.
ALEX PRUGH: Yeah. The pin was back right. Hit a perfect little 3-wood out there just in the left part of the fairway. Hit a decent pitch. I think I had 60 yards to about 10, 15 feet -- 10, 12 feet and just perfect little left to right dier in there.

Then 13, hit a pretty good drive, but the wind didn't take it to the right like I wanted. Was in the left rough. Actually, waited a minute for them to get off the green, and then I proceeded to almost put an idiot mark on my 3-wood as it only went about 150 yards. Had another hundred in and then -- but I took a positive out of that. I had a great angle at the pin until I hit my lob wedge about 40 feet short right, which is not as good (laughter).
You know, right when I hit that putt, I'm like yup, it was right off the club face. It felt perfect. That was a great one.
Then my last birdie was on 15. Pushed my drive there into the right rough, hit a great layup. I had a great angle to the front right pin. Hit a solid shot. Didn't release as much as I wanted to, but I made a solid 10-footer there for birdie.
JOHN BUSH: Alex, great play. Thanks for coming in.
ALEX PRUGH: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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