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WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIPMay 1, 2014Jonathan ByrdCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA THE MODERATOR: Nice opening round for Jonathan Byrd who went to Clemson, not too far from here. How would you say your performance was in the first round? JONATHAN BYRD: It was solid today. I played well, I played with Martin Kaymer who played solid today and didn't get everything he could have out of it, until the end, made a couple of eagles coming in. I made some long putts today which I hadn't done a whole lot this year. I made about a 80‑footer on the 18 for birdie to turn it 1‑under, and then went to the back and really played solid, but I made a 30‑footer on the last hole and just made some really good putts today.  Q. You started 2014 with an exemption and then had to retain your card, which you have done. How much has that freed you up? JONATHAN BYRD: It's just‑‑ I felt like I was carrying a boulder around the golf course. It's freed me up. You still have your issues that you always have but it's been a lot easier playing golf. It's hard playing when you know what you gotta make. It's easier to go out and play well at golf tournaments and work on your game and build on good weeks and that's where I am. Q. 68 out there. What was the key to your round? JONATHAN BYRD: I made some putts which I can't say I've done a whole lot this year. I made some‑‑ I think I made an 80‑footer on 18, as I turned for birdie, and then I just made some good putts. You can get some hard putts out here because there is so much break on the greens, and now we have Bermuda greens, which is great, so, you know, I made some big breaking putts, great two‑putts, made a 25‑footer on the last hole for birdie. Q. Do you like the changes to the golf course? JONATHAN BYRD: I do. I think it's just going to hold up better through the different conditions we have, and the greens are firm. I've always liked this golf course. It's hard to miss it, it's just such a good course. Q. Any particular places out there in this round where players have to be careful? JONATHAN BYRD: Gotta be careful? I just always think of the last three holes. They got the tee up on 17 and you got a little wind on 18, but it's just a hard finish when you're finishing on that back nine. You hit one bad shot coming in and it can hurt you. Q. You started the year off on a medical exemption, you got that taken care of. How do you feel about that? JONATHAN BYRD: It feels marvelous. It got pretty hard there. I got tight getting down to the end. And golf got‑‑ it's already hard, but it got harder when I knew what I had to make. My game is starting to build and I'm putting that behind me and hopefully I can do well now. Q. How do you feel now? JONATHAN BYRD: How do I feel now? I feel like a different person; I feel younger. I was starting to look in the mirror during the medical and starting to think, man, I think I've aged ten years. So golf is more fun right now. Q. Talk about how the course is playing this morning. JONATHAN BYRD: Yeah, the course is playing really nice. It's a beautiful day out there. We didn't have the‑‑ the wind didn't pick up until the end of the round, and it's starting to gust a little bit, so it will probably play a little more difficult for the guys out there now, but the greens were receptive, rolling perfect, course is in fantastic shape, and, you know, that's why you saw good scores this morning. Q. Talk about the bounce‑back after the late bogey to get birdies on 7 and 9 with two great putts, obviously nice bounce‑back there. JONATHAN BYRD: It was, you know. I made a good birdie on 5 and it was just rolling there, 3‑under, felt good. Hit a good shot into 7‑‑ or 6, and unfortunately made a bogey but walked off the hole feeling like guys are going to make bogeys on that hole ‑‑ it's a tough hole ‑‑ and if I can get the ball in the fairway on 7, I can get a birdie there. I hit a good shot, made a good up and down on 7 and fortunately made a good putt for par on 8, then made about a 25‑footer on 9 to finish with a birdie. Q. Talk about that club on 18. JONATHAN BYRD: I don't know how far it was, but I don't think you can have a longer putt on 18, just over the slope, maybe 80 feet, I'm not sure, but I've made a lot of nice putts on the 18th hole, especially in 2011 against Lucas Glover. So it's always fun to make a long putt on 18. Q. I think I heard Jonathan, you either miss the cut or finished in the top‑10. What about this place where there is no in between, it's feast or famine here? JONATHAN BYRD: It's a week I want to play really well, so if I'm not playing well maybe I get frustrated and try too hard and I get in the way. I have played poorly here at times, but when I get it going here I just love this course. I love the greens, and I tend to read the greens really well, so when I'm putting well I tend to make more putts here. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Jonathan. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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