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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE INSURANCEJune 2, 2013Scott StallingsDUBLIN, OHIO Q. At some point did you start thinking about a number, what you might post? SCOTT STALLINGS: No, I learned a valuable lesson last year on Saturday when I played with Tiger. We both shot 74 or something like that on Saturday, a really tough day. He looked at me walking up the 18th tee, he said if we shoot 5‑under tomorrow I'll see you in a playoff. He birdied 18 to shoot 6‑under and beat me by a couple. I always thought about this. You never know, crazy things can happen. You saw my round, Lord knows I could have shot a lot better. I could have shot a lot worse. I think that's a testament of what the golf course is. It's right there if you want to be aggressive. It gives you a lot of opportunities to make birdies. You don't have to hit very many bad shots or very many shots off line to make bogies. Q. If you make a shot like on 15 you steal one? SCOTT STALLINGS: Absolutely. That was a weird deal. I was playing great. Maybe tried to get a little too much out of my drive to get it to the top, give myself a good chance to make a 3 there. Having to wait 20 minutes for a ruling didn't help. Then I started scattering a little bit. Hit a couple of good shots tried to give myself a chance for par on 16. I made a heck of a birdie on 17. Then go to 18 and I kind of ran one through the fairway yesterday and the water. And I said I'm not going to do the same thing. And aimed a hair too far right. I putted a hair too hard. Overall I played great. Q. You did play great and your dad was here to see you. How cool was that? SCOTT STALLINGS: It was awesome, man. This is without question ‑‑ besides the Masters, this is my favorite tournament on Tour. Mr. Nicklaus is a heck of a host. With the great field and a golf course that I've loved since the first day I stepped on it, it's a great way to end the tournament. Q. You made that run on the front, what was responsible for that run? SCOTT STALLINGS: Good play. I hit it in the fairway. I gave myself lots of opportunities for birdies. I made some good putts, but believe it or not I probably left a couple out there. I missed a couple short ones I should have made. I hit an unbelievable fairway shot out of 6. I made birdie. Unbelievable fairway bunker shot on 17. That's not something you do every single day. I feel very fortunate having the round that I did. For the most part to come down the stretch on Sunday and post a good number gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the year. Q. Did you have any number in your head? SCOTT STALLINGS: No, I told the story to XM guys, last year I played with Tiger, and walking up the fairway he said we both shoot 67 I'll see you in a playoff. I said, what? It was shocking to me‑‑ we hadn't finished 18 and he was already thinking about the next day. He birdied the last hole and shot 66. And I said that guy has it figured out. I thought go out and try to go aggressive and see what happens. I don't know how many birdies I made in a row on the front nine. It was nice to get out there. Hit a great shot on 10. Made some good pars. It is what it is. But it was nice to get out there and compete a couple of weeks in a row, and hopefully it will carry on the rest of the summer. Q. Anytime you can play well on Sunday is a big deal. Is it nice when you can come back after a round that didn't go the way you wanted it and do this? SCOTT STALLINGS: Yeah, golf is a weird game. Not every day you make five birdies and an eagle and shoot 75. I think it's a testament to the golf course and the tournament itself where if you're aggressive, it will pay off. But it will also penalize you if you're off a little bit. You don't have to be off very far to make some big numbers. It was nice to come back today. Obviously we didn't want to make any bogeys, but we needed to be aggressive, as well. You understand the consequences when you are aggressive. Q. Was it conducive today to a lower score? SCOTT STALLINGS: It's tough. It's nothing like it was‑‑ it's just way more consistent today. Yesterday it was real gusty. It would be ten miles an hour and then 30. Today it was pretty consistent and didn't move around as much. Guys could play and anticipate what it was going to do throughout the whole course of the day. Q. How big was it having Jimmy on your bag this week. I assume it's a temporary fill in? SCOTT STALLINGS: Yeah, I'm in the process of a caddie change. And fortunate Strick pulled out because I had no one. I called Jimmy, and him and Stricker have been good friends with me. And helping me learn and what I've got to do to belong out here. Jimmy was unbelievably encouraging, and helping me understand what I needed down the stretch. Obviously you don't like to bogey the last hole. You have a veteran on your bag, and for him to pat you on the back and say well done, that's a huge shot of encouragement for me the rest of the year. Q. Was your best par save on 15? SCOTT STALLINGS: Yeah, it was great. It was kind of a weird occurrence. I hit a bad drive, bottom got a bad break, had a bad second shot. I had to wait 20 minutes. The pitch shot I hit on 15 was one of the best shots I hit today. To go and leave it short was pretty remarkable. To make a 10, 12‑footer to make par is a huge shot in the arm. We had a lot of shots that could have been like that today. And it was a big step to go the last couple of holes. Q. (Inaudible.) SCOTT STALLINGS: No scoreboard watching. You try to keep your head down, be as aggressive as possible. There are a few holes you have to respect. 16 is one, you can try to fire it back there. But it's in between a 7 and 8‑iron today. And obviously you know you can't be short. Yesterday you fired a 7 out to the right. You respect the golf course for what it is, because you know if you don't it will definitely penalize you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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