|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 6, 2012Ben CraneAUGUSTA, GEORGIA Q. What made the day difficult today? BEN CRANE: Well, we were playing as much as 25 yards of wind and just cruel with some of our iron shots out there, so the ball was just not flying as far as it normally does, so consequently the holes are just playing so much longer and not getting any roll off the tee. And then the greens are fast, and it's the Masters. The golf course is just‑‑ you get a few mud balls, which also prevents you from getting close to some pins, so you've got to think your way around the course, and some of the scoring opportunities obviously that you normally have on the par‑5s, 13, 15, aren't there because you're not as close. Q. So considering all that, do you feel like you're okay? You're in decent shape? BEN CRANE: Well, I mean, yeah. I'm not pleased at all with my score, but to be frustrated with the way I played some of the holes, hey, I'm not too far out of it going into the weekend at Augusta, so if I can kind of clean up some of those needs‑work shots, then I'm right there. Very encouraged where I am overall, just didn't quite play as well as I wanted to the last nine holes. Q. Were you plugged at 15 or what happened? BEN CRANE:  Yeah, so first it was a delicate shot and I had to‑‑ I was just trying to get it just out and to the right because if I went towards the pin, you run the risk of going too far and it rolling down the hill, and then you're in trouble. So I hit just slightly behind the shot and it came back into my footprint, and I was deep into my footprint. It's just one of those things where you just try to be delicate with one, and it came out a little softer than I thought. Q. This isn't necessarily a course that's been good to you in the past. You've got to feel pretty good about your position. BEN CRANE: Yeah, I'm in good shape going into the weekend, and so I'm learning a lot as I go and feel like if I put a couple of good rounds together, you never know. Q. Why do you think you're playing better this year? BEN CRANE: I think my game is better. I think my mental game is better. I think every aspect of my game is better this year than it has been in the past. I just feel like I'm becoming a better player, more well‑rounded player, and a lot of the shots that I used to think, oh, next year it'll clear over, I'll find myself being a little more aggressive and having more shots in the bag. That's just a testament to I've got really good coaches around me helping me with short game shots and long game. So I just feel like I'm a better player. Q. How has 18 played yesterday and today, because there's been a lot of bogeys. BEN CRANE: Yeah, it's a tough tee shot, you know. It's very narrow. On top of that, it's long, and it's very wet out in the fairway, and so I picked up a lot of mud yesterday and my ball went 50 yards off line on my second shot, even though it was just a mud ball. And then today I just didn't quite drive it in the fairway. It's a demanding first shot, demanding second shot, and then you've got mud and you're hitting a long iron in there, so it's just a difficult hole. Q. Is it fair to say, though, that you're not going for the par‑5s, a bunch of players aren't going for the par‑5s in two as much? BEN CRANE: Oh, for sure. Every hole is playing 20 yards longer than it normally does, so yeah. The par‑5s are really where you can score on this golf course, and today for the most part they're third‑shot holes, whereas most of the time they're second‑shot holes. Q. How does that affect your approach? Those are traditionally the four easiest holes, the par‑5s. How does that affect your approach? BEN CRANE: Well, I mean, if you know they're going to be playing long, then obviously you want to just be sharp with your wedges, and a lot of times you want to make sure that you're not hitting spinning shots in from 85 yards because the spin can really get you in trouble, so you end up having to club down, take one more edge and then hit a really controlled shot. So it's just something that I feel really good about in my game that I'm able to do, so that's why when I get in a situation where I'm kind of borderline, I'll just lay up, I'll hit a non‑spinning wedge in there, and that's been really helpful. Q. Just out of curiosity, what kind of reception do you get here? Do you get a lot of Golf Boys references? BEN CRANE: Yeah. You know, actually I hear a fair amount of ooh‑da‑la‑la's or‑‑ they don't quite get it right. But you get a number of people making reference to the Golf Boys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|