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THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 26, 2011

Tom Gillis

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA

JOHN BUSH: We welcome Tom Gillis to the interview room here at the Greenbrier Classic. Tom, welcome back to West Virginia I know this is a place that means a lot to you, you won 2009 Nationwide Tour Players Cup, talk about that win and the special feelings you have for this state.
TOM GILLIS: Wow, 2009, that's what really got me going for the year. I actually didn't have much status starting that year. I played mini-tours for two previous years, followed by the PGA TOUR, and so I was kind of in a downward cycle and just got going, felt more and more comfortable at the Pete Dye Club there and before I knew it, I was holding the trophy on Sunday.
Yeah, it was special, and West Virginia, it's a great state. We used to do vacation when I was a kid, my mom and dad, through the state, my brother and sister, I really like the place. I just think the Greenbrier is very special, as well. I brought my wife and two kids today, and so they are excited, they are probably at the pool right now I would assume.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It should be a nice week. I heard the golf course -- talked to some guys a couple of minutes ago in the lunch room. They said it's playing a lot longer and the greens are a little firm. It's playing tougher they thought. Should be fun.
JOHN BUSH: You come into the week 97th in the FedExCup standings, and you had a really good week at Pebble Beach and at Transitions. Talk about your year.
TOM GILLIS: Got going, started good early on. Got tripped up with back issues at Bay Hill and missed about eight weeks and slowed the momentum down. I played good at Hartford, finished ninth and played pretty good at AT&T, Aronimink, finished 25th. And that golf course last week got me, I was tangled up in the rough a few times. Try to get back on the horse and try to get it started again this week, and we'll see. I got this week, and probably the PGA. I think I'll get in the US PGA and then the Playoffs start and you can rack the points up fast there. I did it last year, so kind of looking forward to that.

Q. What is it about this course that is the key for you?
TOM GILLIS: My strengths week-in and week-out is probably total driving. That seems to be my highest stat. That's been good all year again. The iron game's been better this year, not as good as it could be. And I think when you get to this level out here, my putting stats are pretty good, as well. I'm probably in the top third on TOUR. But I don't feel like I've made a lot of putts yet and I think that's what you've got to do it win. I think that's the difference between closing the deal and not closing it.
So hopefully we get some putts to fall and get some momentum, and that's pretty much I think all it would take. It just doesn't feel like it's far off. Feels like a very fine line. I can't say that there's one glaring point that I don't like. I guess that's good.

Q. Looks like an interesting threesome, you're playing with somebody who came out of the Open qualifier yesterday, and playing with Woody Austin, a veteran who is hovering around the 150 mark. Looks like some places you've been before. Talk about what a grind this game really can be.
TOM GILLIS: I've been in some places that people here haven't been, I can promise you that. That's as far as -- very, very small town and small golf tournament. But I've known Woody since early 90s, we came out of school right around the same time. He's had a pretty good career out here and it looks like now, he's struggling a bit. And you don't ever know what that can be. He's been out here, ten, 15, 16 years; it's harder to leave home probably with kids and that. His kids are probably teenagers now, maybe in that range.
And Andre, I know him a little bit. I've played with him a few times over the years. I haven't seen him much lately so I can't really speak much for him. Myself, I've had status, lost status, had status, played five years in Europe.
I sat at a Q&A a couple of months back with Jack Nicklaus, Andy Price, Nick Price and Luke Donald, and they asked me what I thought and I started laughing. I said, "I can't believe you'd want to know anything that I've been through compared to what these guys have done, 21 or 24 majors between them."
My career is a pro typical journeyman all the way, and unfortunately in our business, golf is such a strong game that you can be a journeyman and still have a nice life. Well that's what I'm trying to do but I would like to win. I know I'm capable of winning out here. I'd like to give it a shot this week. I'd like to have a chance on Sunday. That's all I think anybody ever wants, is just a chance on Sunday. I don't think you can really start the week saying, I'm going to win this one.

Q. Back problems, is that the most common malady and injury for a golfer, or is there something else?
TOM GILLIS: I think that's the most common. I think that's the first time I've had ever back issues in 21 years or doing it or whatever. I really didn't know what to do with it because I've had three wrist surgeries and I know what to do with a wrist, but I didn't know what -- how much I could use it and this and that.
Just wear and tear, but I think there's probably 50, 60, 70 percent of the guys out here are dealing with some sort of back injury, that's what I've come to find out, very common.

Q. Probably hurts when you swing, right?
TOM GILLIS: Right. Or at the top of your swing. Mine is more at top of my swing. But yeah it's a tough game on your back. You go see all these neurosurgeons all over the country, and every one of unanimously says, it's not a normal movement and you're putting a lot of rotation on that spine so you have to stay strong and mobile to lengthen your career and get as many years as you can out of it.

Q. With all of the injuries and also mini-tours, quite a career you've had, did you ever think of giving it up at any point?
TOM GILLIS: Oh, yeah, several times. I think the closest I came was I finished the Nationwide Tour in 2006 and finished like 103 on the Money List. Played the TOUR out here in 2005. Finished 151 or 152, lost status, went to the Nationwide in 2006, finished third early out there, second one week and never played good the rest of the year. I just thought, I had a little boy at the time and I thought what am I doing here.
One of the things I wanted to do was leave the game with some money and I had a little bit of money and I thought, I don't want to risk that money the way I'm playing right now. So I sat in the wintertime, came up to the Michigan and Detroit area for our or five months, looked for some jobs. It was a tough market then. I thought, well, heck, I'd better get out there and do what I'm somewhat good at. I changed a few things, worked with a new coach, had two years of no status, Nationwide, won that Players Cup down the road, and things just started changing. I could see it was coming. The game was better and I still feel that way today. I still think that the best is yet to come.

Q. You talk about how tough it's been but how great is it to get out and play golf for a living?
TOM GILLIS: I think that's what you learn. You know, when you're sitting home for those three or four months, whatever, trying to decide what you want to do with your life, and maybe stand in front of a few people and talk about going to work and thinking, wow, that's what it entails.
Golf really wasn't that bad. I think in our job, good times are very good and the down times are not very good. The fans, what they see is Sunday at around 6 o'clock, you see a guy holding a trophy getting a million dollar check, and they see that and they think, wow, that's a great life, and it is, granted. But you leave home a lot, you leave your family a lot. When the kids are in school, that part's tough. They don't see the guy running 50th that week who can't knock one in from two feet because his nerves are shot or whatever, they don't see that. There's a part of that, there's some sacrifice involved I guess is what I'm trying to say.
People ask me all the time, do you love your job, and I say, oh, I absolutely love it. I think it the greatest job in the world. Have a lot of friends, meet a lot of nice people, and get to entertain and that's really what we are here to do is to entertain people.
JOHN BUSH: Tom, we appreciate your time. Play well this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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