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NORTHERN TRUST OPENFebruary 16, 2014Jason AllredPACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA JASON ALLRED: I don't think I'm a smart enough guy to put into words how much fun I had, but the chance to be here, this place, Riviera, is such an amazing, special place. I praise God that for whatever reason, despite me, my tendency to try so hard to do so well, I was just able to really enjoy it and I felt peaceful and so thankful to have Keith Nolan, my buddy, and a great caddie on the bag, really helping me, just to soak it in. To be able to go through that situation and be able to say that I really‑‑ it's still fresh, but that I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun means a lot to me given my history of kind of getting in my own way with that. I just had a blast. Q. You seemed able to stay in the moment all week. Any reason for that? JASON ALLRED: Hard to say. I'm certainly a work‑in‑progress, but just to feel some growth in that area has been so rewarding for me. And really, the things in my life I have to be thankful for, this game‑‑ I love this game, trust me, I have big dreams still, but we have two amazing kids at home and an amazing wife and our third child is due in a week and a half. So I think‑‑ I don't really know the reason but maybe that just added some perspective and a lot of freedom and peace. Q. You're in the Honda now, because you're Top‑10, but your baby is due that week. Is that going to be a tough choice for you? Are you going to play or are you going to sit? JASON ALLRED: You know, I'm far from perfect as a husband and dad, but I try to make my family my priority all the time. I can't wait to talk to my wife and we'll have fun figuring out what that looks like.       I mean, I don't think I'd miss my child being born for anything but you know, who knows, maybe we can do both, we'll see. Q. What was it like for you walking down the 18th fairway? Seemed like you had a lot of fun with that? JASON ALLRED: I did, naturally I'm a competitor, I guess everyone competes in their own way, but I wanted to hit a great shot and it felt so good to hit probably my best drive of the day, my best iron shot of the day. I wanted to make that putt but in the midst of that, I realized, this is a special moment. To get to be alongside Bubba today, we were good friends growing up, we played a lot of junior golf and college golf, and he played an amazing round of golf today. It was fun to even enjoy watching him play. But just that moment, that scene out there, I can't imagine a more beautiful place and to get to be a part of it was really special. Q. Talk about Bubba, the way he closed out? JASON ALLRED: That birdie on the last was pretty awesome. But just I think one thing I learned, I'm sure I can learn a lot of things, but one thing I learned, he just is himself in any situation. He just kept hitting his shots, his big hooks and fades, and he just plays with a lot of freedom. You know, when he got in trouble, he made a lot of really nice four and 5‑foot putts there for a stretch early in the back nine, and you know, took advantage of some birdie opportunities. Yeah, he and Teddy work great together so it was neat to be around. Q. Over the last seven or eight holes, pars were kind of what closed it out. JASON ALLRED: Yeah, at least for me, those holes, 12, 13, 14, 15, are some really difficult golf holes. They were awesome holes, they are very fair, but they certainly are challenging. So with a couple of those pins today, I think pars go a pretty long ways. Q. Does it say something about his game that he over comes three doubles over the first two days? JASON ALLRED: Yeah, I didn't know that but that's phenomenal. You can tell, he's obviously a very mature player and coming off Phoenix, I think it was, where he unfortunately didn't close out the deal, you can tell he's probably learning all the time, too. He played like a champion today. It was neat to see. I think what he shot, 64‑64 on the weekend, that usually takes care of a couple double‑bogeys. Q. How much does that week validate the journey for you to just get here. JASON ALLRED: Yeah, I mean, I said the other day, even in the times when I didn't really know what was next with golf and I wasn't getting in any tournaments, to the point where I wasn't sure if I could keep doing it, I still had that belief in me but sometimes it feels like it's still a long ways off. So you know, this is still pretty fresh, but it means a ton. I guess it shows me that I can do it; it makes that dream a little more real which is really special. Q. In addition to all of the other things, the financial windfall of today‑‑ more than what you've made in your entire career‑‑ JASON ALLRED: That's funny. Q. To put it in those terms, but what does that mean for you, what it can do for a little security, especially with a baby on the way? JASON ALLRED: We can afford some diapers thankfully. That's a good question. You know, really without the generosity of people in our lives, starting right out of college with a team sponsors that believed in us, and a couple years being able to do it on our own and back to an amazing sponsor that I have now, I couldn't do it without them financially. So they have been so generous and supportive, so today's just, I mean, major bonus and blessing. The money's certainly great, but don't get me wrong, it means a lot and it will certainly help out. At the same time, being out there today, I didn't really think about it. I'm surprised I didn't; like you said, it's about as much as I've ever made in my whole career in one day, which is crazy. Q. Bubba winning the Masters, playing with him as a kid, is it hard not to wonder‑‑ JASON ALLRED: Yeah, to be honest, I probably went through more of that a few years ago, but like I mentioned before, I can't even put into words the things that I have in my life that make me realize how fortunate I am; I'm a rich man. But I'm a competitor. I want to be out there. I'm happy for my friends but I want to do that some day, and it's cool to have a day like today to realize, maybe I'm not that far off. Q. What do you think held you back in the past? JASON ALLRED: I'd say more than anything, just playing with freedom. I think for whatever reason, I love this game so much, and I care so much, and also I'm a people pleaser to a fault, I love people; I think just trying so hard to do so well. I just played with a little bit of fear and a little too careful. I have a long ways to go still but it's fun to feel and to experience glimpses of betting better and growing in that area. Q. When you went into the Monday qualifier, what was your attitude? What was your sense of‑‑ what is it like in a Monday qualifier‑‑ JASON ALLRED: Yeah, isn't that crazy to think I was at Industry Hills on Monday and I got to do this. What a joy. But you know, I was getting ready to leave on Saturday and my wife and I, knowing that our baby was due the end of this month, tried to plan my schedule the best we could. But when it came to that time to actually leave, that was a tough, tough thing. Gosh, I'm going to be by myself and the baby is probably not going to come but to be totally honest with you, I almost didn't come. I love giving it a shot but at the same time I realized, it's just another tournament. Thankfully my wife's mom was able to fly down and help her out. My wife is so awesome and supportive, and you know, obviously I'm very thankful I came at this point. Q. What did she say to you last night? JASON ALLRED: Talked to her last night and this morning, and driving out here right before I teed off, she took my call in church, she stepped outside so she could talk to me. She just said that her the two kids are so proud of me no matter what happens. My son last night said to me, "Daddy, I got to see you on TV!" He yells in the phone, but the next sentence is, "I can't wait for you to get home," so we can get this little baseball guy in the store (laughter). On one hand, it's great but helps to have perspective pretty quickly. Q. Is it interesting to look back and see the other times you've tried to Monday qualify? JASON ALLRED: Yeah, you know, again the people that support me, they believed in me probably more than I have at times. They said, it's not a matter of if, but when. I guess they just realized what a fine line there is. I feel like I've really been playing the best golf of my life but for whatever reason, I played really poorly at Q‑School finals and I have conditional Web.com status, but I won't get in any tournaments on my number. But you realize that can change quick and you just stick with it, and if I play well enough or long enough, I'll have chances. Q. How hard is it going to Monday qualify when you travel? JASON ALLRED: I've gotten a little bit used to it. But that's just the nature of it. I mean, it's not the glamorous side of professional golf but it's so neat to see older guys that have won TOUR events before still plugging away and doing it. If they can do it, it's easy for me to do it. It's a chance to play. I said today, I'm glad I take those chances. If I was going to be in those Web.com events, it might be‑‑ I had butterflies‑‑ you know, my number won't get into the Web.com events, so it certainly depends on what happens with our child. But it would be an easy choice as far as the golf side because. The tournaments in South America don't have qualifiers. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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