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CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS CLASSIC

October 20, 2011

James Driscoll

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA

MARK STEVENS: All right, let's get started. James Driscoll, great round. Got a 66 on the Palm Course today. Go ahead and talk about your round, and then we'll have a few questions.
JAMES DRISCOLL: Yeah, it was real up and down day. I started on 10, and we get out there seemed like for the first five or six holes there was no wind, so I snuck four birdies in there early, which was nice. Then I could kind of relax and just let things happen.
It was kind of weird from then on in. I made a few loose swings and had a chip-in double bogey on 6. Couple other bogeys with balls in the hazards off the tee. But all in all I putted great, and that kind of saved me for most of the day.
MARK STEVENS: Questions.

Q. What's it like to come here as No. 125 and play knowing you're in that special number?
JAMES DRISCOLL: You know, I don't look at 125 as that special of a number. The guys at 120 through 190 are kind of all in the same position. Everyone needs a good week this week. Every one of those guys needs a good week this week to avoid Q-School.
So I don't think the position I'm in is any different than about 40 other guys here. Plus, I've known all along that the money that I have up to this point isn't going to be enough. I've known that for the last couple months. I've kind of been under the same pressure for the last month from Vegas up until now trying to make a few dollars and get out of this position.
I obviously haven't done it, but hopefully things will start coming together.

Q. When you saw that you were going to come here as No. 125, did you go, Great, or you didn't care?
JAMES DRISCOLL: I thought there would be a little bit of media attention given to it. Other than that, didn't really affect my attitude. Obviously I would rather be at about 30 on the Money List, but it is what it is. You deal with it and try to do the best you can.

Q. Is there a point you look back on in the year and say, I could have made this a nonissue a long time ago if I'd have done this? Was there a stretch this year when you were disappointed in what happened?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Yeah, but I guess anybody out here could do that, you know. It's kind of a useless thought process to go through. I mean, the last nine holes on Sunday in Reno I probably spent a few dollars. I mean, anybody out here can look at a stretch of holes or whatever where they didn't capitalize. But that's the game. There are ups and downs. Everyone goes through the same stuff, so doesn't do any good to dwell on it.

Q. As much as everyone, as you said, that's between 120 and 190 is in a little bit of the same boat, compared to where you were last year - 157 and having to go all the way back to second stage - do you feel a little bit more comfortable at all being those 20 or whatever places higher?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Slightly. Yeah, being outside the top 150 is really never wracking because then you got to go to second stage of Q-School; if you don't do well there, then you're 100% back on the Nationwide. So that was a tough position to be in last year.
You know, I was proud of way I played. I finished I think tied for first at second stage, and then made it through finals. So I was pretty proud of the way I kind of buckled down and got it done there.
But, you know, I don't know. It's not a position that's fun to be in. Anywhere from 120 to 160, it's just not where you plan on being at the beginning of the year. It is what it is.

Q. Having said all that, and, yes, we all agree with you; however, wouldn't 110 sound real good when you leave here Sunday afternoon?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Oh, God, yeah. Oh, yeah. No doubt. I mean, who knows? I just want to play as well as I can. Anything within the top 125 would be great. I would be leaving town with a smile on my face, no question.

Q. Has TOUR golf, professional golf, been harder than you would've envisioned when you were coming out of the amateur ranks? What's been the most frustrating thing about getting your career on track?
JAMES DRISCOLL: I don't know, good question. I think maybe it is. I mean, it's hard to say, because I look at guys that, you know, some of my peers that I came up with through college golf; one of them is Luke Donald. He's No. 1 in the world. Then there are other guys that are on the mini tours that were great players.
So there is really no telling where a good amateur player is going to end up in ten years. You know, it's a tough road, for sure. The talent is so deep and there is a crop of five or ten young guys coming out every year that think they're the next Tiger Woods. And they might be. It's just hard to play against 'em.
And you got the veterans that have been out here for 20 years, too. It's tough. There are only so many spots to have a lot of good players play.

Q. James, how much did the four birdies when there was no wind, how much did that kind of let you maybe take some of the nerves out of getting off to a good start?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Yeah, it was huge. I mean, I looked at -- I kind of was looking at the weather last night and looking at my yardage book last night. I saw that the par-5s were going to play a little downwind early.
I knew that those first few holes, it was very possible to get to 2-under right away after four or five holes. I was lucky to get even better than that. So it was a good start for sure.

Q. When you made it through Q-School and you start out this year, do you sort of have the attitude, All right, I'm going to get this taken care of quick? Is that a different kind of pressure, especially if it isn't happening right away? I know you did have a good tournament or two early.
JAMES DRISCOLL: Yeah, I mean, I think everyone starts the year thinking, I'm going to win in the first month. That's what everyone works their butt off in the off-season and thinks their game is in great shape and goes into Hawaii or wherever they start thinking they're going to win early.
It's a good mindset to have, but there are 180 other guys thinking the same thing. So, like I said, it's difficult. You know, I'm doing the best I can, but maybe I got to do a little bit more. (Laughing.)

Q. When you come down to it, at the end of year, you left, what was it, Reno at 104. That's pretty good. Then do you feel the oil leaking as you get to the end of the year and all of a sudden you've played four, five and haven't made any official money?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Not really. I mean, a little bit. It might look like -- it has to look like that from the outside looking in, but, you know, it doesn't really feel like it too much.
I felt like for a good part of the year I had pretty good control of my golf game; I was feeling really confident up through the playoffs. Then I missed the cut by like a couple at the Barclays, and then I had a big chunk of time off.
Ever since I came back the swing just hasn't quite felt the same. So that's all I'm trying to figure out is just trying to get my swing back to where it was kind of in the middle of the summer. If I can get that down, then everything will be fine.

Q. I'm down from Boston for the tournament. With your successful career so far, Keegan Bradley winning the PGA, and the fairly recent success of some other Massachusetts natives, what are your thoughts on growing up playing golf in New England and how well the Massachusetts players seem to be doing these days?
JAMES DRISCOLL: Yeah, I couldn't have been more impressed with what Keegan did this year. When he won in Dallas I was thrilled for him; then I was speechless when he won the major. It's great to see somebody with New England roots win a major. I think it's been a long time since that's happened. He's kind of set the bar for kids coming out of New England now, and it's good to see.

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