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RBC HERITAGEApril 19, 2014Ben MartinHILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA Q. These guys were first coming out here and playing this golf course that was attacked by nearly three inches of rain yesterday. How did this golf course play today? BEN MARTIN: It's opened up a lot. I played four and a half holes yesterday and it was windy and rainy, but still pretty firm. But you get out there this morning and the wind died down a little bit, but definitely softened up. Q. Is it an advantage for you to come out here and play a number of holes prior to Round 3 compared to other guys who finished yesterday? BEN MARTIN: Yeah, it's nice to be out there this afternoon and kind of know what to expect little bit. Still be a lot of golf. I'll probably play 37 holes of golf.  I'm sure I'll be worn out at the end of the day. It's nice to have a few holes under my belt today. Q. How do you mentally prepare for that long day? BEN MARTIN: Just getting a lot of sleep last night. I think that's the only thing you can do. Q. By the way, no South Carolina native has ever won the RBC Heritage, including Charley Rymer, so you're in a position as someone from Greenwood, Clemson product, how much does this tournament mean to you and dare we say have you thought about winning this event in your home state? BEN MARTIN: That would be awesome. This is one that we circled at the start of the year. We rented a house months ago. Got the whole family down. So it's a hometown event, you could say, since it's in South Carolina. If there was any event that I could pick to be my first win, it would be this one. Q. Talk about the position you're in. You must be pretty excited? BEN MARTIN: Yeah, that's the position you want to be in going into the weekend. Probably a little bit unfamiliar ground for me on the PGA TOUR. I've done it before on the Web.com Tour. But this is where I play and it's a lot of fun out there to be up on the leaderboard. Q. The rain delay didn't seem to bother you. In fact, did it soften things up where maybe it was a little easier? BEN MARTIN: I think it did help me out. Yesterday wind and rain. Today a little mist and less wind. So the conditions were definitely easier than when we got off the course yesterday. I was glad to be able to come back and finish it up this morning. Q. People don't realize you're an accomplished amateur player. Really good player on the Web.com, Top‑10, and you've won some money this year on the PGA TOUR, so you're not nervous. This isn't new ground for you? BEN MARTIN: No, not exactly. I've been a little inconsistent this year. Last year was probably the best golf I've played over an extended period of time. So that's really what I was looking to get back to. I felt like I was focusing a lot on results this year. I just got back last week, thought a lot about staying focused on my process, and really controlling what I can control. If I give myself the best opportunity to hit good shots out there, that's really all I can do. Q. Lastly, being a South Carolina native, does this tournament mean a little bit more to you than maybe some of the others? BEN MARTIN: Absolutely. This is one I circled early in the year that we wanted to come to. We rented a house, and had the whole family down. So it would be special for this to be my first win. Q. How many times have you been around Harbour Town? BEN MARTIN: This is actually only the second week I've been down there here. The first time I'd ever played the course was my rookie year when I played the tournament. Even growing up in the state I've never played the course before. Q. Did maybe Lucas and Jonathan, all the Clemson alumni, help you with a little bit of tips about how to get around here? BEN MARTIN: I didn't get a whole lot from them this week. It was tough, I mean the practice rounds were rained out basically. So I got to play the Monday Pro Am and played nine holes Tuesday. It's definitely a course where you've got to pick your spots in order to miss it and know where you can attack from. But I like thinking my way around the course. Q. Does that fit your game? BEN MARTIN: I think so, yeah, I'm a pretty analytical guy. So I like to get out on the course where you've got to kind of think your way around it. Q. How do you feel like you adjusted from yesterday afternoon to this morning with the completely, really different conditions, with the golf course? BEN MARTIN: I felt like I did well. Basically those things are out of my control. I'm kind of focused on things I can control and that's having a consistent routine and giving myself an opportunity to hit good shots. It is nice to get out there and kind of know what to expect going into this afternoon, having seen most of the course. Q. So you got in late, so you're going to be in the next to the last group in the third round. Is that maybe a little bit better position for you to be relaxed? BEN MARTIN: I'd like to be in the last group. Either one, I'm just going to have some fun out there this afternoon. Q. Can you talk about the 9th hole and what happened there on the second shot? BEN MARTIN: Yeah, that's‑‑ I think it's maybe just a little bit more into the wind than I thought. I thought I hit a little shorter than I wanted to, but I didn't expect it to come up in the bunker. It was pretty disappointing to finish it off like that, but there were a lot of positives out there throughout the round. Q. What were some of the other positives? BEN MARTIN: I mean the ball just kind of going where I'm seeing it. I think that's what you have to do around here. On 8 I hit 5‑iron from like 190 into the wind to 12 feet. So to hit just a great shot like that. And have kind of a birdie look on the last with a wedge in my hand and come away with a 5 was a little disappointing to finish that way. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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