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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 19, 2011

Tom Gainey

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

MARK STEVENS: I'd like to welcome Tommy Gainey. Tommy, your 128 total is second best in the opening 36 in tournament history. If you kind of want to talk about what it was like out there today and then we'll take some questions.
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, first of all, let's say I had an early wake up call. You know, it's -- man, I hit that ball -- I hit it so bad today. Kind of tired right now.
You know, the golf course is holding up pretty well. It's still in really good shape. I don't know how much rain they had last night but it looked like there was a bad storm approaching when I left last night here.
But the greens, I expected them to be soft and they were just because of the early morning tee time with the dew on the greens as well.
But, you know, no wind blowing. I guess all of you would say it was perfect weather because it was about 75. Me, I like it a little -- much hotter than that. But it was good, you know. I had a good round but I just got a lot of things to improve on.
MARK STEVENS: Questions.

Q. Great round no matter what you say.
After the 63 yesterday, you mentioned that you had to go and try again to shoot it again. Your driving was a problem. What did you do after the round yesterday and did you feel that you hit the ball better today?
TOMMY GAINEY: Yes. After the round I went to get iced. I iced my elbow and iced my wrist. I've had a wrist problem since the Vancouver tournament which has been pretty close to a month ago now, and if you can look at my stats, they'll tell you that I haven't hit many fairways since that tournament and I've been struggling off the tee and it's pretty much -- you know, it's been ongoing thing with my wrist not feeling a hundred percent but I'm not going to sit up here and make any excuses. Everybody out here has to play injured. That's just the way it is.
I'm just -- I just got iced up yesterday and that was it. I didn't hit any balls or nothing. I just got iced and then I left the course, got ready to get something to eat.
As far as the second part of your question, I hit it worse today than I did yesterday off the tee. I hit my irons worse than I did yesterday. I thought my iron game yesterday was on top of it. Today it was worse and I think that's got a lot to do with hitting it more out of the rough.
It's just hard to make birdies when you keep putting yourself or putting myself in the rough. I mean it's not high but it's thick. Just settles straight down and you just got to go after it and the harder you swing at it to get it out, just the more shock that goes into the wrist.

Q. There's a lot of golf left to go today but if you're in the lead tomorrow or close to the lead, what would be your mindset tomorrow?
TOMMY GAINEY: Good question. You know, my mindset is, you know, when I tee it up I try to win no matter if it's the first day, last day. I try to make as many birdies as I possibly can. That's what this game is all about.
You make a lot -- you try to out-birdie everybody else. You make more birdies than everybody else, you win.
I haven't really accomplished anything in two days. The only thing I've accomplished is I've set myself up in good shape going into the weekend. But, still, there's a lot can happen and one day as we all know, but two days, that's like an eternity in a golf tournament. I'm trying to do the same thing I did these first two days tomorrow.

Q. Will you look tonight to see where you stand before you go to sleep?
TOMMY GAINEY: It doesn't matter. I'll look but it doesn't matter.

Q. You've been in similar positions before. What have you learned from other times you've been in this position as far as going into the weekend?
TOMMY GAINEY: Well, basically not to put pressure on myself and just have more fun. I just need to have more fun playing because right now I'm putting it the best of my life since I've been playing golf. I have not putted any better than I have these first two days.
I have not made a bogey yet in 36 holes and that says a lot about my putting because the rest of the game is in kind of bad shape right now.
So -- I made one bogey? I made one bogey today. How about that? I did make one bogey. He had to bring it (laughter) -- I was feeling good, now I'm feeling -- just brought me down.
MARK STEVENS: You're still crushing everybody. Don't worry.
TOMMY GAINEY: I made one bogey but, you know, one bogey ain't too bad in two days is not so bad.

Q. Left wrist?
TOMMY GAINEY: It's the left wrist.
MARK STEVENS: Next question.

Q. I notice you putt with your gloves on as well. Have you gone back and forth or you always putted as well with your gloves on?
TOMMY GAINEY: I've always putted with the gloves on. I've tried to hit shots without them. I've tried to putt without them. You know, it just doesn't feel right.

Q. Have you had your wrist and your elbow diagnosed and how did you hurt it?
TOMMY GAINEY: You know, all it is is I'm taking precautionary measures on the elbow. The wrist I know, I sprained it hitting out of the rough in the Vancouver tournament which was about a month ago.
I'm just trying to do the right things to keep my body in shape because out here, it's a grind and if you're not careful, the least little thing that you take for granted can put you out for a long time.
I'm just trying to, you know, take advantage of the physio guys in the trailer, let them ice me down, just to make sure nothing starts happening later on.

Q. They've made a lot of renovations, lot more to come. You play all over. Can you talk to us about playing here at Sedgefield and in the Wyndham?
TOMMY GAINEY: It's awesome. It really is. It's awesome to come out here, like you said, the renovations. I noticed the -- the first thing I noticed was the trees out of the front because the last time I played here was 2009 and they had quite a few trees or things like that in front of the clubhouse where you couldn't really see a lot of it and I noticed that.
To me it looks like they lengthened the golf course a little bit because I don't remember it playing this long as it is now.
MARK STEVENS: One more? Okay. Thanks a lot Tommy knee. Good look this weekend.
TOMMY GAINEY: Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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