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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

March 31, 2011

John Rollins

HUMBLE, TEXAS

MARK STEVENS: John Rollins. Great round today. You want to kind of take us through some of highlights and then we'll go ahead and take questions.
JOHN ROLLINS: Yeah. I played good all day, hit the ball well. Kind of had a couple holes there early, got off to a birdie, birdie start on 10 and 11 and then, you know, kind of started -- I made a pretty bad bogey on 13, the par 5, drove it perfect and hit it right and over kind of in the native area or whatever and just played a poor hole from there out and then just kind of got back into what I was doing, hitting good shots and making some putts which has been a welcome sight considering this year I haven't putted as well as I would like, but I've been working on it. My teacher, Pat O'Brien, and I have been working on it pretty hard, my teacher. Today we saw some putts go in.
MARK STEVENS: Questions.

Q. Pat is working with several players now. Can you the talk about what he brings to you. What does he offer to you, different look?
JOHN ROLLINS: He's in the Dallas area, I'm in Dallas. That's very convenient to have a guy like that at home when you need him and everything else, but it's more or less just trying to help me free my stroke up. I've always been sort of a I guess you would call it a hitter of putts, not really a smooth, like a Steve Stricker style, real smooth and rhythmic stroke like he's got. We've really been working trying to get more into that mindset, trying to see the ball, you know, maybe rolling on the greens better, rolling in the hole kind of on a dying -- dying balls into the hole rather than being so aggressive like I've been in the past.
It's been a little difficult. You know, we've done okay at times, but the consistency hasn't been there. I've devoted more time to it since it's been killing me over last year or so. So I've really devoted more time to it recently and starting to see some signs.

Q. Was the course kind of defenseless out there? Seemed placid and not much wind.
JOHN ROLLINS: This golf course, the way it's set up, it's in such great shape. They've got some pins in some pretty in good spots. You still have to be cautious at times. There are flags you can be aggressive with and set-up birdie opportunities. If you're not careful and you're not paying attention, you maybe challenge a flag that's somewhat tough, you can make a bogey or double pretty quick. 'Cause these banks, the ball will roll right in the water if it rolls down any of these greens.
The greens are fast, they're true. Best greens we putt on I think all year. But they -- they're still difficult. So, you got to hit the ball in the right places.

Q. You have tickets for the Saturday night?
JOHN ROLLINS: I do, yes. I will be at the game. I'd like to play well, obviously be leading the golf tournament, but hopefully tee times won't interfere. Worse case I'll be coming in sideways for the second half.

Q. Have you ordered a chopper yet?
JOHN ROLLINS: No, I didn't really think about that, but by the time I get there, maybe the traffic won't be as bad. I hope I keep playing well tomorrow and put myself in that later tee time for Saturday and just let everybody get there and get in their seats and I can just kind of stroll on in.

Q. Are you friends with those guys?
JOHN ROLLINS: I know -- I know Shaka. I've known him for a few years now. He's been a part of -- VCU has been a part of my charity event, and we teamed up together over the last few years to do a charity event there in Richmond. I've known Shaka for a few years.
Norwood Teague is the athletic director. I know him much better than Shaka. He's actually traveled to some tournaments in the past. I've done a lot of dinners with him and talked to him on the phone quite regularly and things like that. So I have a decent relationship with those guys.

Q. Do you know any of the players?
JOHN ROLLINS: I haven't met any of the players. I haven't met the players. They're definitely playing great basketball.

Q. Pretty exciting, huh?
JOHN ROLLINS: It's a blast. To get bashed for not -- we shouldn't have been allowed in the tournament, I guess everybody is saying. Now to be not Final Four and running through the teams that we beat is quite an accomplishment in itself. I know they'll be proud no matter what happens Saturday, but, you know, hopefully they can win one more game and get that chance at the title.

Q. Are you sticking around Monday if they make it?
JOHN ROLLINS: I don't know. Just depends on what happens here. I'd like to be heading to Augusta, but, you know, we're obviously going to have to win here to do that. But if I don't and they make it there, you know -- it's the first time ever, so I kind of feel like I should be there.
I've been the last -- I've been to the Kansas game. If I go to this game and they win, I kind of feel like I got to ride this out now. I don't want to break anything up, break any streak that they've got. I may. It would be fun to stick around and watch a National Championship game. But they got to get through Butler first.

Q. Are you surprised that they made it this far?
JOHN ROLLINS: Of course. Who isn't? I didn't even pick them in my bracket (laughter). What does that tell you? You know, I mean, like you say, on Selection Sunday, you kind of understand where everybody came from, but, at the same time, you know, they've played great basketball. They beat quality teams and beat them easily.
So, you know, you can argue until you're blue in the face both sides of the coin. I'm glad they got picked. The guys were excited. They weren't even watching the show from what I heard. They were all doing their own thing. Now they were getting text messages and phone calls, what's going on?
You know, I think they've really used I think the negative comments to their advantage. They really used to it inspire them and really get them motivated to play.

Q. Is there a little magic for you, too? You're playing well?
JOHN ROLLINS: I actually said that at the game against Kansas on Sunday, my caddy came and met me down there. He was driving into Houston anyway.
"Do you want to go to the game, I got tickets.
He had said, "Love to."
He came and met me there. We're watching the game, and I was hoarse for like a day and a half after the game from all the screaming. This could be exactly what I needed for my golf game. I'm sitting here watching my school, they're beating Kansas, one of the best programs in the country and they beat them pretty easily. And I'm like this is -- this could be something that I need to kind of get a little bit of spark under me to get me going and, you know, just kind of maybe wake me up or whatever. To be in the same town is pretty ironic, pretty cool to do that for me to be able to play and them to play.
So, you know, I'd like to be able to double-dip this week.

Q. What's your caddy's name?
A Heath Holt.

Q. You mentioned the Golf Channel interview they kind of inspired you. You sort of answered that. Have you talked to Shaka during the three weeks at all?
JOHN ROLLINS: I only saw him briefly after the game at Kansas. When they win, he's cutting down the net and he's getting pulled all over the place with media and everything else. I did get to see him back at the team hotel before they left town to go back to Richmond. So I visited with him briefly, but other than that, he's obviously a hot commodity right now. He's pretty hard to get ahold of.

Q. But it's kind of inspiration for you. Did you ever them going out against --
JOHN ROLLINS: I kind of figured, I thought maybe we could get USC, but once we drew Georgetown after that I was like okay, surely we're not going to be able to beat Georgetown. They play a lot of great competition throughout the year, but they've played great.

Q. As an inspiration, is that really --
JOHN ROLLINS: It's fun to see your alma mater playing so well and they're in the Final Four and it's in the same town that I'm in. There's just a lot of positive mojo that's going on with VCU and hopefully it will ride on with me this week.

Q. Did Norwood introduce you to Shaka?
JOHN ROLLINS: Through them and through the tournament. We teamed up with VCU. It was all kind of set-up through him and he was a part of it.

Q. I'm assuming it wasn't too tough to get tickets for you?
JOHN ROLLINS: It has not been, no. It was pretty -- at Kansas with about a minute left to play, I was already telling Norwood, "Okay, I'm going the need some tickets to the Final Four."
"Like, whatever you need we'll be happy to help you." Has not been a struggle.

Q. Is he out here?
JOHN ROLLINS: At the team hotel, whatever they're doing. I may have a little gallery tomorrow with them. I'm hoping he shot me a text message last night and said there is some interest for some of the alum and some of the people want to go come. So whom I can get some of them out here and cheer me on tomorrow.

Q. How long have you been with your caddy?
JOHN ROLLINS: Heath and I started in '09 in Flint. Almost two years, basically.

Q. How did you guys work up a working relationship?
JOHN ROLLINS: He's been out here for a long time, worked for Skip Kendell for nine years. Kind of got away from it and came back. Was bouncing around bag to bag for a little bit. I was looking for a change and actually Hunter Mahan's caddy, John Wood, knew Heath and knew he was available.
I asked him, "Is there anybody out here that you would really recommend?"
And he said, you know, "I'd recommend Heath."
Gave me his number. We contacted -- or I contacted him and we got together in Flint. We won the next week in Reno. It's been a good relationship.

Q. Good start. What's the most important thing in that relationship, player/caddy?
JOHN ROLLINS: Obviously now he knows, me he knows my game very well. You know, I think it's just -- I think you just -- you learn each other. I think he can sense when I'm comfortable, when I'm uncomfortable, when I'm -- who knows what. He knows my game, he knows shots that I will try, that I won't try.
I think it's more of -- for Heath and I, I think it's more of a companionship. We're good friends. We enjoy each other's company. So I think that we can walk down the fairways and talk about the VCU Rams in the Final Four. We can talk about anything other than just golf shots and what's coming up and, you know, really get away from it in between shots. I think that's a crucial ingredient to a good relationship.

Q. Is it hard enough to look ahead to say well, what if on Monday, both case scenario?
JOHN ROLLINS: When -- I played really good today. I felt like I left a couple shots out there. Bogeying two par-5s. I had a 3-iron into one of them, could have got a 3-wood almost on the front edge of the other one. I probably should be making at least one birdie and a par at worse and I make two bogeys.
Yeah. I don't think I get ahead of myself. If it's Friday or maybe Saturday and this was going on and I was right there, maybe it would be tough to fight that off, but, you know, I think that -- I think that to get back to being with the caddy, I think that's where a good caddy helps you.
I think that's where a good caddy keeps you in the moment, you know, really keeps you focused on what you're doing, doesn't let you get ahead of yourself and, you know, hopefully carries you through to the ultimately goal which is the winner's circle.

Q. Size up the game.
JOHN ROLLINS: I think -- I really don't know much about Butler. I know they've got a great defense. If we can continue to shoot the 3-pointer the way we've shot the 3-pointer, I don't really know that anybody can beat us.
Our defense is good. They're playing good. I think our key is still shooting the 3 well to open up the inside game for us. If we can do that, we're going to be alright.
MARK STEVENS: Thanks a lot.

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