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HUMANA CHALLENGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLINTON FOUNDATIONJanuary 20, 2013Kevin ChappellLA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA Q. Disappointed with a 62, but I like that effort on the last hole. Were you really trying to make it and you thought you did halfway to the hole? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, I hit a good putt. Unfortunately missed the come back putt, but all in all, it was a good day. I said to my caddie walking up 18, this is a lot better than where I was end of last year, fighting to keep my card. It's good to get those nerves going again and a nice way to break off the rust. Q. Going to be a little bit nicer to take care of that business on the West Coast instead of in the fall? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Being a guy from the West Coast, it's always good to play here. I have lots of friends and family here to support me, and it's always good to start off the year well. Q. What's the key really getting it under par out here? That back nine you got to attack and with all the par‑5s, is that really the key to the day for you? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, I got off to a great start. I chipped in on the first hole, birdied the next two, and that just kind of got me going. Two par‑5s on that backside helps. But, no, I made some beautiful putts and really wedged it well today. Hit my numbers and was able to get up‑and‑down. Q. See you next week? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, I'll be there. Q. Did you put in a lot of extra work in the offseason? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, my team and I, we kind of sat down and compared notes and made the adjustments that were necessary. Been working with Mark Blackburn on my golf swing. I've seen some great results moving the ball both directions and really starting to play golf again, rather than play golf swing, which has been such a joy. I changed the way I practice to just really making sure it correlates to the golf course and it's been a success already. And then James and I have been working for a couple years and really starting to see a few things in the short game that are exciting. Q. You had that high finish at the U.S. Open, and then just looked like the rest of your season, that's when you kind of went into a bit of a tailspin. Was that what you are talking about, you just got away from playing and started getting too mechanical? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I thought I played pretty good throughout the summer, but it was more towards the playoffs that I didn't play that well. For me, I started working with Mark at the U.S. Open, so I had success really early, and then pretty average play. But it was better than the rest of the year, and then didn't play well late in the year. But, yeah, I kind of started at McGladrey. We addressed it like let's play golf, instead of play golf swing. And I changed the way I practiced. It was less structure, more purpose. Hit this shot, that flag, this yardage, instead of alignment stick, swing aids, you know, and it's helped a lot. Q. The conditions here all week again today were perfect. Did you have any target in mind when you started off this morning? KEVIN CHAPPELL: Not really. I had a lot of middle of the road finishes in my career and I'm a lot more comfortable out here now. And you really have nothing to lose, especially out here on Sunday. If you play a good round, you can move up the leaderboard. But shooting 2‑under par wasn't going to do me any good, so it was definitely aggressive mentality, but I still had to hit the shots and make the putts. Q. No number in mind though? KEVIN CHAPPELL: No. Q. What's going through your head as you stand over that approach on the last on nine? KEVIN CHAPPELL: It wasn't a very good number for me. Even with adrenaline going, I had 164 yards to the hole and that's a huge 9‑iron. I have to turn it right‑to‑left to get it back there, and last thing I want to do is overturn it. But I hit it where I'm supposed to hit it, I guess, and then just I hit a bad second putt. What can I do? Q. Where did 59 creep into your mind during the round, or did it? KEVIN CHAPPELL: I hit it on David Duval's plaque on 18. And I said, Well, David Duval made it from here. I said to my caddie, I probably hit it to right where he hit that putt from. The pin's a little bit further left. And then I hit a mediocre eagle putt, but I tapped it in for birdie. I knew it would be tough having to make birdie on the ninth hole to shoot 59 or even hole it from the fairway just because it's a tough finishing hole, but it was in there. But it never was the goal. I just wanted to keep hitting good shots and stick to my process and see what it added up to. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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