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April 8, 2010
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
Q. You've got one round of the Masters under your belt. That's got to be just an amazing thing.
BEN MARTIN: Yeah, it was a little embarrassing on the first hole. I think I missed that putt on the first hole, and I found out how fast Augusta's greens are. I had a 20-footer straight up the hill and I left it about eight feet short to start off my day. But I hit the ball great all day and that.
Q. I know you played a practice round with Ben Crenshaw, what was it like today?
BEN MARTIN: Yeah, he's just a great guy to go around with. He's laid back and it was great watching him hit shots.
Q. You had three bogeys on the back side.
BEN MARTIN: Yeah. Bogeyed 1, bogeyed 5, and those were both 3-putts.
And then 11 I drove it right. I didn't have a chance to get it to the green. Made bogey.
12, I hit it in the water and made bogey. That was a good one. I dropped about 85 out and hit it to 12 feet and made it.
And then 14 I drove it left and had to chip out again. But missed a 4-footer for par.
Q. Birdie on which holes?
BEN MARTIN: 2 and 3. I hit a 9-iron in there to three feet.
Then 3 it was a 3-wood sand wedge to 12 feet that I made.
Q. You said nerves at the start. Was there a point though in the round where you felt that you were taking control of it all and turning it into an ordinary round?
BEN MARTIN: Yeah, I hit that shot in there on 2 to three feet and made that. And I birdied 3 and after that I was ready to go. I hit every green on the front nine. I hit about 15 greens today. So. I had two 3-putts and I missed some par putts from 10 feet or so.
Q. Getting through today do you feel like when you come out tomorrow, obviously it's not a regular tournament, but do you feel like you can kind of approach it that way now that you got a round under your belt?
BEN MARTIN: Yeah, once you get that first tee shot out of the way. Still there's a big crowd there at 1 and they announce your name, it gets the nerves going a little bit again. But I'll problem be fine tomorrow.
Q. Were there some things that you learned today from playing in competition as opposed to the practice rounds?
BEN MARTIN: Here and there. Nothing specific. The holes that I kind of screwed up, it was just that I just got to keep it in play off the tee. That's really where I got in trouble.
Q. They talk about how long you need to be out here. Were you hitting any long irons into holes?
BEN MARTIN: 10 was playing long.
And 18 I kind of caught the trees on the right side and dropped it down. I hit a 4-iron there. I think I hit it to eight feet on 10 and hit it to about eight feet on 18 with a 4-iron.
Q. How quick has this week gone for you? Once you get here and it starts and blink it's over.
BEN MARTIN: It doesn't seem like that long ago I was at the U.S. Amateur and now I'm here. We're already here with the first round done. And it feels like I just got down here two days ago.
Q. Did you have a number in mind that you want or need to shoot tomorrow to stick around for the weekend?
BEN MARTIN: 10 shots here? So, say 8-, 9-under is leading tomorrow, I need to get it back it even par.
Q. (No microphone.)
BEN MARTIN: I'll need to do that to be around for the weekend.
Q. Is it doable?
BEN MARTIN: Yeah, the way I'm hitting it, if I get the putter straightened out I'll be all right.
End of FastScripts
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