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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 29, 2011

Ryan Palmer

IRVING, TEXAS

THE MODERATOR: Welcome Ryan Palmer in. I know it was a difficult day today, the wind, the pressure, the heat. Talk about today and as it wound its way to the finish.
RYAN PALMER: I felt great, was excited, pumped, couldn't wait to get goin'. I was pretty steady, few awkward shots there through the first part of the round and good birdie on 7, but it was tough, no doubt.
Tough making putts, and I finally started making a few, huge bogey on 11, great birdie on 9 but to battle the way I did, I birdied 16, 3-putt 17 and make the putt I made on 18, I can't be more proud of myself. I had to do that just to give myself a chance and I did. It's the way it goes.
I'm 0-1 in the playoffs now. (Laughter.)
THE MODERATOR: Talk about the playoff, particularly the second shot --
RYAN PALMER: I hit a good drive, I hit it solid, it leaked out there and I had a clear punch shot but it's so easy to hit it left when I'm trying to hit a punch like that, and it squared left a little bit and then my putt, just wanted to tease myself a little more, I guess, but I got into the position to win the golf tournament and that's all I can ask for.

Q. You said it was important to go out and have fun. You were having fun this week and, you know, Jim Nance said on 18, "It doesn't get anymore clutch than that," when you made that putt. How much was your caddy helping you on 18?
RYAN PALMER: You know, it's funny, he pulled the driver on 18, obviously and I've been hitting 5-wood every day, which I understand, because we had to make birdie, so it didn't matter but we got to the second shot and he goes, "Okay, it's in your hands." He goes, "You know what, I'm going to let you take this one over."
We knew what I was going to hit, it was 118 into the wind and I was choked down, punched a pitching wedge; it was perfect, and I couldn't have hit it any better, and to have a 6-footer like that downhill and to make it.
I can't think of how proud I am just to suck it up and then pull those three shots off. It's going to be huge down the road.

Q. Ryan, talk about if you make the clutch putt you're going down the fairway, pumping up the crowd and everything, was that getting yourself fired up, did you feel support out there?
RYAN PALMER: I did, and it was a good moment. What I had done on 18 to get into the playoffs, and they were amped up, so I figured why not have more fun with it. We had a 300-yard drive in the golf cart and I thought why not have fun with it. James and I had a blast this week, and obviously I'm disappointed because I didn't come out on top, but I can't be disappointed with my game and how I hung in there with the pressure of the wind and finished second, nothing wrong with that. It's huge for Captain Freddy, so hope he's watching.

Q. Were you surprised with your finish knowing that you were leading the tournament?
RYAN PALMER: Surprised?

Q. Placing second, expecting to maybe win?
RYAN PALMER: No, because past experience when I've been in that position leading or tied for the lead I've always come out, first, second, wherever I finished, I've always been on top so I knew it was going to be tough.
I knew as long as I kept grinding and grinding I could give myself a chance to win, if not at least have a top-5 finish, so I'm proud to come to a golf course I've struggled on and finish second and also, a little disappointed to win a playoff, but this is going to carry me through the rest of the summer.

Q. When we talked to you on Wednesday it seemed like you were coming in with a bit of a nonchalant approach, new irons, caddy taking over. At what point did it become serious to you, that you're a strong contender and you needed to take it more seriously?
RYAN PALMER: I was excited after Wednesday because I shot my lowest round on this golf course and then I shot the lowest round on Thursday, and I said wait a minute, I like this golf course now. After Thursday I knew how to play it, what James and I were doing was working so I had a good feeling that we were going to have a good week after Thursday's round for sure.

Q. Talk about hole 11, that drive and kinda coming back with the 4-iron and making bogey there and how you recovered down the stretch.
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, it's always been my hardest tee shot to hit, left to right wind, it's always a tough one for me. Hit it in the water and then James obviously, you can hit it too far right or back to the left in the water and obviously James said, "Put it in the fairway," and then I put it in the bunker and had a great bunker shot, and that was huge, fired me up even more.
Then I had some good shots coming down the stretch, few missed putts for par on 14 and 3-putt on 17. You know, that's golf, it's going to -- but I birdied 16 and biggest hole of the day was 18 so I felt good.

Q. Is the experiment going to become an on going thing at the next golf tournament with James? And Sergio had a rough day, no question but at 11 he got pretty upset and said something to the rules official about you guys somewhere to sit there and wait. Were you as upset as he was that they didn't let you play up to the green?
RYAN PALMER: I didn't pay that much attention, I didn't realize he was upset about it. I thought they were talking about a ruling over there. We were waiting pretty much all day, to me, that wasn't that big of a deal. As far as what James and I are doing, we'll go into next week getting back into the same routine. This is huge for him to be able to -- now he can do a lot more if he's not comfortable with something I'm doing. We'll do a little bit of both. I always ask him what he feels so I might take a little more control after birding 18, but he'll be there when I need him for sure.

Q. Ryan, it sounds like you're more proud and excited that you came back to tie than disappointed that you lost. Is that a fair assessment? Also, you played a lot of rounds in West Texas weather like this, is this about as tough a condition as you can remember playing in?
RYAN PALMER: This is as tough as I've played in, especially with the greens and the way the course is designed. It's a little disappointing, winning it everything, I've come out here every week trying to win a golf tournament and the I came a playoff short -- came up a playoff short but to shoot 73, 72 on the weekend, and loose in a playoff, that shows you how hard this golf course was and I'm proud I had the chance to shoot 5-over on the weekend and still be in position.

Q. In the playoff hole did you use driver off the tea?
RYAN PALMER: I did.

Q. There was any thought of dialing it back considering what key began had done with his drive?
RYAN PALMER: No, it was just come off a perfect drive like that so we were confident and comfortable with what I was doing. I hit a good tee ball but it catches it a little bit it's enough to go through the fairway like that. It was the play I was feeling and obviously he wanted it for sure.

Q. You were just touching on this but that drive on 18, how tough does that set up for you? You talked about the left to right wind that's tough. How tough of a hole was that today?
RYAN PALMER: It's one of the toughest if not the toughest tee shot I've hit all year long. You've got the water and the wind, it's blowin' left to right, and the rough is so close in any wind that catches it it's in the fans, in the trees, and you're punching out for sure. I'm pumped and proud the way -- under that kind of pressure to stand up and hit it at a tee like this so it gives me more confidence to hit down the road and then the wedge and the putt. It was my best finish, save the 2008 win at Ginn Sur Mer; that was fun golf right there.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Ryan.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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