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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIPMay 16, 2014Graham DeLaetIRVING, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: We will get started. We would like to welcome Graham DeLaet into the interview room with a bogey‑free, 4‑under par 66. Can we get some comments? GRAHAM DELAET: Yeah, I got off early so we had some pretty nice conditions, the greens were perfect in the morning and the wind was dead all day, maybe a 1‑club wind and that's obviously rare for here and it doesn't seem to be picking up all that much so I expect the scores to continue throughout the afternoon wave. Q. Take us through the 4 birdies. GRAHAM DELAET: I played well through the first 6 and didn't make anything and then a nice up and down out of the bunker for birdie and 15‑20‑footer on 8 for a birdie and felt like I got momentum going there, and where else did I birdie? 15 and 11, actually made a nice birdie on eleven out of the fairway trap from 110 yards or so, hit it in close. I wish I could take back my tee shot on 16, that's about the only tee shot that I hit in the fairway bunker and wasn't able to go for the green in 2. I was hoping and expecting a 4, but played well all day. Q. Top‑10 here last year, gotten better each year you've played here. Are you getting comfortable on this course? GRAHAM DELAET: I actually do like the golf course. I feel like it fits my game pretty well. I like to think that I play pretty well in the wind, which obviously it usually blows here pretty hard. Yeah, it's just one of those courses that I look at it and it suits my eye. Hopefully it can be a good weekend. Q. Can you talk about your season so far and where your game feels right now, compared to when you were reeling off the top‑10s? GRAHAM DELAET: Yeah, obviously I got off to a great start this year and the past month or so I feel like I have been playing well but not putting well at all. I changed up my putting routine and I felt like I was trying to hard to make putts and I was taking one quick look, and letting it go and I've been able to make putts. Yesterday I hit it really poorly yesterday and holed a lot of good par puts to keep myself in it and today I did better, was able to make a few, and I burned a couple of edges as well but it was a good day. Q. There has been talk in relation to Jordan recently not being able to close but getting into contention. You've seen yourself in contention over the last couple of years. Do you see those as positive experiences even though you didn't win? GRAHAM DELAET: Yeah, every time I've been in contention late in the week end I feel like I've played pretty well, I haven't given anything away. It's just one of those things of getting one or two breaks, making a couple of long putts or chipping in and it's just one of those things. I feel like it hasn't happened yet but my patience is there and I feel like I'm playing well enough and coming into this week I felt like my game was really close if I could just make some putts and I was able to do that for a couple of rounds and find myself in good shape. Q. Graham, how were the scoring conditions today compared to when you played in yesterday? >> GRAHAM DELAET: It was definitely much easier today, just because of the wind, mostly. Then, you know, getting off early like we did today, too, the greens were perfect at least for nine holes. There was only one group ahead of us so that always helps. But at the same time the wind, like I said, it's not really picking up all that much so I expect some good scores to continue and whether or not I'm leading or in the final group tomorrow I know that I'm going to be in good shape and I can watch the hockey game tonight and not worry about getting up super early. Q. Graham, when you change your putting routine like that, is that something you think about for a while before doing it or is it more kind of a snap decision, I'm just going to do it this week type of thing? GRAHAM DELAET: More than anything I have been putting well on the putting green and wasn't able to take it to the course. I knew that I was stroking it well enough, to hole a putt, I just had to change. My mental approach was kinda the main thing. I felt like I was getting a little tight on the putter, and so a little quicker. I felt like I wasn't able to think as much and, you know, the putter‑‑ it feels a lot better in my hand this week than it has in the last month. Q. Having been so close, talking about how to win you need to chip in or make some long putts, what have you learned about what role "luck" plays in who actually wins the tournament? GRAHAM DELAET: There is definitely a degree of luck but generally the guy who is playing the best wins the golf tournament and that just hasn't been me quite yet. Like I said, the more and more times you're there, the more comfortable you are and my first couple of years on TOUR I was super nervous and I was thinking about it from Friday going into Saturday's round, you know, being in the final group or whatever it may be, and I dont really feel like that anymore. I'm going to get sleep in tomorrow, and go about my regular routine and I feel like mentally I'm in a lot better position than I've been over the past couple of years and a little more prepared for hopefully getting that first win. Q. Is that just experience that changes that? GRAHAM DELAET: Yeah, I think so. I feel comfortable out here. A lot of our peers out here, they have a respect for my game, which helps when you hear from some of the top players that, you know, they appreciate how you play the game of golf. It's little things like that build over‑‑ this is my fifth year now that you start to believe in yourself more and more, and hopefully when I get that first win they kinda start piling up but I gotta get that first one. Q. I don't know if you've looked at a leaderboard but Mike Weir is right behind you, I think he was 1‑shot back when you came off the course, can you talk about what it's like to see Mike back on the leaderboard? GRAHAM DELAET: Yeah, that's great, I actually did see that when we were on 17, he had gotten to 5 and that's grade for Canadian golf. He had to struggle through the past couple of years but the one thing about Mike anyone who knows him, he works harder than probably anyone out here and you gotta appreciate that. He was my hero and idle growing up so it's cool to see and maybe something special could happen and we could be paired together late on Sunday, it would be a lot of fun. Q. What do you do when you get nervous on the green? GRAHAM DELAET: You know, the main thing really is just to stick to your routine and do what has gotten you there and what's been successful in the past. We all definitely get nervous, but it's trusting what you've been practicing and letting the "feel" take over. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, sir. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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