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THE HERITAGE

April 24, 2011

Tom Gainey

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

MARK STEVENS: I'd like to welcome Tommy Gainey. Tommy, an exciting finish there. Came up just a little short. If you want to talk about your round today and then we'll take a few questions.
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, I will finish solo third. I'm pretty happy about that, but I'm disappointed in the same breath. I hit it in the fairway on the first hole, had a great line to the pin, and I just hit it a little heavy. Hit the tree, fried egg. So I was able to get it up and down for five, which was a pretty good five, considering.
But other than that, and then I parred the par-5 the next hole. And No. 3 I made another bogey. So I'm 2-over after three holes. And absolutely hit it good. Hit one bad shot in three holes and I was 2-over.
So I was a little steamed. I was steaming pretty good, needless to say. But, you know, now that I sit here in front of you all, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.
I would have loved to have won. I think this golf tournament is unbelievable. I think it's the second best tournament on the Tour. And I think everybody would agree that No. 1 would be Augusta.
So I'm pretty happy. I'm pretty happy. But still disappointed. But, you know, what can you do? I just keep putting myself in position and sooner or later I'm going to knock that door down.

Q. The putt on 18, was it a missed putt or missed read on that one?
TOMMY GAINEY: It was a bad putt. That was on me there. I just hit it too hard. My caddie and I, Marvin, we both had a good read on it, right edge and I just killed it. I mean, the second putt was about two and a half feet. That tells you how far -- how hard I hit it. But I wanted to get it to the hole. I know I needed to make that one to have some sort of opportunity to get into a playoff or, you know, just be one short, you know. At the time I knew 12 was in. I had to get to 12 to have a shot at being in a playoff or whatever. So I just hit a bad putt.

Q. After 1 and 3 and the slow start, you came back with an eagle on 5, that had to get you going?
TOMMY GAINEY: No doubt about it. It got me going pretty good. I played that hole pretty well, I've got to say. I hit a great drive, hit a great 6-iron in there. And had like a 10- or 12-footer. It was just off the green for eagle. I'm real happy with somehow getting it in the hole there, because it was sitting in a hole for me to hit the putt, I was going to chip it, but it was sitting in a hole and I knew it was going to bounce out of it. So we decided to putt it. And we made the right decision.

Q. You talk about the gallery, especially in the back nine, you had a huge gallery, they were always really right behind you.
TOMMY GAINEY: You know, it's awesome. It's awesome. As I said about this golf tournament, the Heritage, it's unbelievable. All the players love coming here. They really love the golf course because, you know, it doesn't take 20-under to win. You shoot a round in double figures, 10, 11, 12, you have a chance to win the golf tournament. They like a challenge, and that's what it is.
And for me being in South Carolina and this tournament being here in South Carolina, I mean it's incredible for me. The fans have been unreal, unbelievable. I can say all the big words you want to hear, but it's been awesome to be here this week. And it's been even better to play well in front of them, in front of the home folks for me. And I just want to tip my cap to them for keeping me in it and keeping me positive. And I really appreciate that.

Q. Can you talk about the first time you were out here, you weren't quite sure you could win, you went to the Nationwide Tour. Do you feel it's just a matter of time until you get one out here?
TOMMY GAINEY: There's no question about it. I'm getting closer and closer it seems like, from 2008. 2008, I don't make excuses, but, you know, I just didn't play very good. But now ever since I won those two Nationwide tournaments last year, it's like I'm a different person, a different player. I feel like I can compete because the Nationwide Tour is so deep with ex-PGA TOUR players from the field. So if you can beat them, you know you can compete out here and win. And that's the way I feel. And I really feel that I'm just about ready to knock the door down.

Q. 15, you looked like you debated back and forth a little bit about whether to try to get to the green in two. Did you have a bad lie or what did you finally decide on there?
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, you know, the lie was pretty good. I had 225 to the hole. But, you know, I had two big pine trees right there at the edge of the water, right there in front of the green. And I would have to hit a 4-iron or 5-iron type deal to try to hit it up over the trees, and I didn't think I could do it. And me and Marvin talked about it and we both finally decided, you know, it's not worth it. I could just lay it up to 100 yards and actually it was 98 yards, to be exact, but laid it up there and just try to make birdie that way, because I feel like my wedge game and my short game is pretty good. And just so happened that I had 98 yards, had a great wedge there about five, six feet and was able to make it.

Q. The putt on 16 kept you in the round, what was going through your mind there? Obviously after you maybe hit a little further than you wanted off 16 tee. Can you take me through that a little bit.
TOMMY GAINEY: You know, on 16 we had right to left and helping. And we talked about, you know, 3-wood would be too much, if he hits out there in that fairway, it's going to roll 30, 40 yards. If I hit 3-wood, then it's going to fly pretty close to that tree, then roll 30, 40 more yards. That brings that cart path into the play, and that brings in that little water just on the other side of that cart path, and I definitely didn't want to hit it over there. I thought a 3-wood hybrid would put me short of the pine tree, and I would have a wedge in, which would be a birdie opportunity for me.
Now, you know, I hit it good, and I don't know what it hit in the fairway, but it took one huge bounce or hard bounce, and ended up right behind the tree. I had this one limb that I had to deal with that I couldn't get it up. So I had to try to hit it under it, and, you know, I took a 56 and just tried to punch it. And you saw what it did. It hit in the middle of the green and one-hopped over.
And I had the momentum going, I just birdied 15. And the ball just gets behind 16, gets right there by the tree, and it's hard to say if it was a good break or a bad break or this or that, but, you know, it's part of golf and you've just got to deal with it. But it definitely kept me from making birdie on that hole, I will say that.
MARK STEVENS: Thanks for taking the time. Good luck next week.

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