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WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN

February 5, 2011

Tom Gainey

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

DOUG MILNE: Tommy Gainey, thanks for joining us after another successful round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. You opened with an 8-under 63 yesterday and followed it with a 6-under 65 today, so obviously things are going your way. Just a few comments on how you're feeling as you head into what would technically be the weekend but the third and fourth rounds.
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, you know, I'm feeling really good right now. I don't know what my stats are at for today for the nine holes, including the nine that I played yesterday, but feeling really good about my game. My ball-striking is really good. I hit a couple bad shots today, but they wasn't bad enough to get in any trouble. I always think that's a good thing because as we all know, golf is a game of misses, so my misses today were pretty good.
But I like my position. My ball-striking is good. My putting is on track. I'm making putts. And everybody knows, when you make putts, you've got a chance to win.
DOUG MILNE: What do you attribute that to? I talked to you I can't remember where it was last year, maybe Honda, or the year before, and you were kind of frustrated with the state of your game, and now obviously you have this confidence. Is it just hard work, or what can you attribute the solid --
TOMMY GAINEY: Oh, no question, it's hard work. You know, my caddie does a great job for me, Marvin King, in reading the putts and helping me club myself because sometimes there's a wind that comes up on different occasions, on different shots. He does a great job with me on that. We've got great chemistry. And you've got to have a great caddie on the bag to be successful.
You know, I owe a lot of it to him helping me, giving me a few tips on some of the moves that I'm making in my swing, which I think everyone would agree that my swing is kind of hard to kind of go with adjustments, so to speak. He does a good job with that. He's been with me for about a year and a half now, and I plan on keeping him.
But I like every part of my game right now. I think everything is good, and you know, I like my position.
DOUG MILNE: My last question is you're done; we're looking at 12:10 right now. Not going to tee it up again today, so how will you spend the afternoon? Will you go out and work on things or just kind of chill out?
TOMMY GAINEY: I think a little bit of both. I think I'm going to chill out a little bit and go out there and hit some balls. I've got a new wedge I'm going to put into play because I took a chunk out of my 56 hitting off rocks yesterday. On 15 I hit into the water, it was laying right on top of rocks and I took a chunk out of the club face. I think I'm going to go out and practice with that one for a little bit and try to break that one in. But other than that, just chill and hit a little bit of balls and not work too hard because I like where it's at; just go out there and just get it in another groove, just kind of just mess around a little bit, try and improve on some things that I didn't like out there for these nine holes.

Q. What exactly do you think clicked this week compared to what you've done the three previous tournaments? What changed?
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, you know, I'm the type of guy, I don't make excuses. You know, I live in South Carolina, and I don't have -- the weather has been terrible in the winter. But you know, I just -- I think it's a part of working hard and getting the rust off. I think I've played three tournaments in a row, and I think I've finally got to the point now, my swing is getting in a great rhythm. You know, I'm hitting it great. I'm making putts, and I think I've got good karma right now. And that's good. I think it's going in the right direction.

Q. So you just needed to play?
TOMMY GAINEY: Yeah, I'm a little different than a lot of these guys out here. I mean, they have to take three, four, five weeks off every year, six weeks. Me, I don't -- I have to play. I have to play more; that way I can get into a rhythm. It seems like the more I play, the kind of better I get. You know, I get into a better rhythm. I get into a good rhythm on the course and off the course. It makes a big difference when I don't have to take two weeks off and then come out here and play two or three in a row because it might take me one tournament to get back into the swing of things.
But that's pretty much it. I'm just a little different than everybody else.

Q. You talked about the rhythm. Did you even get teed off on Thursday? Or did you start yesterday?
TOMMY GAINEY: Man, I'll tell you --

Q. It's hard to remember, isn't it? Didn't you play two holes the first day?
TOMMY GAINEY: I did play two holes the first day, and I'll tell you, the first two holes I played, I missed it from 10 feet and like 11 feet on the first two holes. Had great putts for birdie, and I just -- you know, I just burned the edges on both putts.
You know, I mean, that's how it goes. But right now it seems like the days are running the same because of all the delays.

Q. Was it almost an advantage? Yesterday you seemed like you were in a groove hitting shots at the flags and you got to play -- basically finish 18 and keep going.
TOMMY GAINEY: Oh, no question about it. I was talking to my caddie when I got done with the last hole, I said, I'm ready to go back out. I said, you know, I'm in a groove, I'm hitting it good. I just shot 8-under I think it was, and I'm ready to get back at it. And just so happened that on that other nine that I played, I birdied the first two holes. I just kept it going.

Q. You kind of did that this morning, didn't you, birdied the first three today?
TOMMY GAINEY: Yeah, I birdied the first three, and I'll tell you what, 4, 5 and 6 was just heart-breaking because I had three good putts at 4, 5 and 6, and they could have easily fallen. But I can't look back and say I wish they would have failed. But you know, I just shot 6-under, so I'm happy with that because I've missed the previous three cuts. My position now is I'm in a groove, and I'm just going to try to keep it going.

Q. How long were those three putts that didn't drop?
TOMMY GAINEY: 4 was probably just inside of ten feet, around ten feet, down the hill, par-3. 5 was probably more like seven, seven and a half feet. 6 was probably about 12 to 14 feet just on the fringe.

Q. So you're giving yourself really good chances out there?
TOMMY GAINEY: I am. I am. I'm giving myself a lot of chances. I'm hitting a lot of fairways. I feel like I'm hitting a lot of fairways these nine holes. I think I missed two fairways if I'm not mistaken. But I'm hitting a lot of greens. I think I missed like two greens on this last nine, so I mean, any time you hit seven out of nine greens and you shoot 3-under, you're putting yourself in the right position. I feel really strongly about that right now.

Q. How much more -- you've been out here a couple years. How much more comfortable do you feel now being on TOUR week in and week out?
TOMMY GAINEY: You know, I tell everybody it's night and day difference now because last year -- winning twice on the Nationwide Tour has kind of boosted my confidence, my self-confidence, amongst my friends. They knew I could do it and everything. They had all the confidence in the world. But for me to do it against the Nationwide Tour, which has got an incredible field because half the field used to play on the PGA TOUR the last five to eight years, if you do some research I think you'll find that half the field has been out here quite a bit. You know, it's a little different out here because you're still talking about the best players in the world. No knock against the Nationwide Tour because the field is deep and the field is good. But you're talking about the best players in the world out here. I mean, you've got to be ready to play or you get lapped every day.

Q. How did your experience on "The Big Break" help you like dealing with the media?
TOMMY GAINEY: You know, I think dealing with the media, that's not bad. You know, they just ask you a couple questions and it's simple; you just answer them. Seriously, I mean, you ask me a question, I'm just going to answer it. I'm going to be straightforward. And I think that's -- I mean, that's just the way I was raised; tip the cap to my parents because they've done a great job. I feel like they've done a great job with me.
But you talk about "The Big Break," this is something I think a lot of people don't see. "The Big Break" you have to hit some golf shots. They might be funky golf shots, but you still have to hit them. You can hit a good golf shot and be off the show. Bad shot, mediocre shot, you get kicked off the show.
Out here, if you hit a bad shot you've still got plenty of time to recover. On that show you don't have that luxury. I mean, you hit that shot and it's not good enough, sayonara, you're gone, and your dreams of winning the show is gone.
So I think it helped me get comfortable with the camera, as well. You know, I don't really -- the camera doesn't bother me like it did when I was on "Big Break IV" because that was my first opportunity to get that camera on me, and let me tell you something, I was nervous. Shaking in my shoes, let me tell you. But now I'm just used to it.
Out here we're playing golf. We have the best job in the world. It doesn't get any better than the PGA TOUR. Where can you go and play almost for a million every week? And this week I think it is a million if I'm not mistaken.
DOUG MILNE: A little over a million.
TOMMY GAINEY: A little over a million. That's why it's the best job in the world. But I'm just happy to be here.
DOUG MILNE: Tommy, thanks for coming in. Congratulations. Keep it up.
TOMMY GAINEY: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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