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JOHN DEERE CLASSICJuly 8, 2014Jordan NiebruggeSILVIS, ILLINOIS MARK STEVENS: We'd like to welcome Jordan Niebrugge, making your first PGA TOUR start this week at the John Deere Classic. Do you want to talk about your thoughts coming into the week and then we'll have a few questions? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, I guess just I played in the Masters last April, so really kind of take that experience there and the experience I had playing in front of crowds and stuff like that and really take it to this week and use that experience to my advantage. I feel like I'm going to be a lot more comfortable out on the course, just already going through that experience, and just taking that and working with that all week. Q. Is there any other experience like playing at Augusta National, that incredible event, and then you must cherish an opportunity like this greatly. JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, for sure. You can just take every advantage of this opportunity. Opportunities like this don't come too often obviously as an amateur, and you've just got to take advantage of what comes up. I mean, you only get to play in these a few times before you actually get out on the pro tour, so you've definitely got to take in and soak in the atmosphere, the experience all week, and maybe use that down the road when you're here and down the road. Q. Come Thursday do you just close it all out and do what you do well? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, I think I'm just going to prepare tomorrow and just use what I've gained, the knowledge I've gained the last couple‑‑ I played here last week a couple times and the last couple rounds and use that on Thursday and the rest of the week. Really use all my notes and just go out there and play, just go have fun. You don't have to think about much when you're out there, just go let it rip, and you never know what can happen. Q. Patrick was just in here talking about how special it was to have an exemption. Having played in the Masters, this is a little less of a thrill but still a thrill nonetheless? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, for sure. Growing up in Wisconsin, aside from the U.S. Bank that just ended a couple years ago in Milwaukee, this is the closest event to home. It's only about three hours' drive, and a lot of my family lives in Illinois, so it's definitely a hometown event. It's an honor to play in front of family and friends for sure. For Mr.Peterson to give me an opportunity to play in this event is greatly appreciated. Q. Did you watch Stricker's three‑peat and was that‑‑ JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, I mean, this has always been a great tournament to watch, especially the last couple years coming down to the wire. Definitely have some of those images in my head, whether it was Stricker's bunker shot and birdie on the last or Spieth chipping in from the bunker last year. Definitely have those images in my head, and it always seems to come down to the end. MARK STEVENS: Did you attend as a kid? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: I did not, no. Q. Steve Stricker came from Madison, lives in Madison. Before that you sort of didn't hear about too many golfers from Wisconsin, but Mike Van Sickle who won a lot of tournaments at Marquette and yourself, now in the amateur ranks, how do you sort of explain how you guys sort of popped up out of nowhere? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: I mean, there's always been a lot of great players that have come from Wisconsin. Danny Wiltman was a great amateur player. I think he almost made Walker Cup in I want to say '09. But otherwise, I mean, there's always been a lot of good players, but they just don't really broaden to Nationwide events. They just kind of stay‑‑ a lot of them stay inside Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota. You don't really see that‑‑ they don't get that exposure, but there's always been a lot of great players out of Wisconsin. Q. How often do you have your last name mispronounced? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: A lot, almost‑‑ I mean, I would probably say every tournament. Q. Do you hope to get to the point where people know your name just like‑‑ JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I guess that's the main goal, just to get here often so they can start pronouncing my name right. But that's all right. They'll get it right one of these times. Q. Do you take anything from what Jordan has accomplished here and beyond? Is that an inspiration for guys coming up? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, for sure. A lot of the amateurs and some amateurs that have gone pro definitely grew up playing golf with him, and a lot of them are good friends with him. Seeing him exceed this early and this well, it really inspires us, I think, just because we grew up with him, playing with him. You've just got to realize he's not that much different than us. He's just playing exceptional golf right now and the last couple years. It actually shows you how much he's taken advantage of his opportunities that he's had before him the last couple years. He really hasn't dropped the ball at all, and that's‑‑ I mean, all to him that he's been able to do that because it's not easy. He's making it look easy. But I mean, just looking at guys my age, a couple years older and a couple years younger, looking up to him really inspires me and some of the other guys to maybe follow in his footsteps one day. Q.  He started his pro career in January. Have you thought about maybe forsaking your last season of your college career and‑‑ JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: No, I intend to graduate right now, just finish out school and then go from there. Q. What advice would you give to golfers that are younger than you that see you golf and come out here and watch you golf? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: I mean, just keep working at the game. I mean, I started when I was three, but I know a lot of my friends now that didn't start until they were in high school or just before high school. I mean, you can start whenever you want. I mean, it's a great game that you can play for your entire life. I mean, like I'm inspired by Jordan Spieth and some of these other guys, these younger pros, but they can be inspired by some of us amateurs, just coming out and watching us play and really learning the game of golf and kind of getting that golf fever to go out and practice as much as they can and really exceed their game. Q. Were you inspired by Tiger as a kid? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah. Q. Is that what made you pick up a club? JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Yeah, he was probably my favorite player. He still probably is my favorite player. But just watching him play golf, it's unbelievable how good he is and some of the shots he hits and the determination he has to win a golf tournament. Growing up as a kid, I mean, there's so many tournaments that he just had the will to win, and I think you've got to have that in this game. MARK STEVENS: Thanks for your time, Jordan. Best of luck this week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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