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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS


April 28, 2016


Brian Stuard


Avondale, Louisiana

Q. At what point did you know you had something special going?
BRIAN STUARD: Probably after I made the one on 9. That was a good birdie to make and kind of keep the round going. I don't know, it was just one of those days where it seemed like I was really reading the putts well, and luckily they were going in.

Q. You set a new personal record, which is 21 putts to navigate TPC of Louisiana. How did you heat up the putter?
BRIAN STUARD: I wish I knew. It was just one of those things. I picked this putter up last week in San Antonio and had a good feel for it. I putted well last week and it continued over to today.

Q. Given your recent results, at what point this week or was it warming up earlier today did you have a feel that my game is really turning around?
BRIAN STUARD: I think it was mostly last week. I've been struggling to start the year, but I feel like it's getting closer, and been working hard at it. Just need to see some results, and today was a good one.

Q. What's the mindset going to be going forward? With the delays we had today it's going to be kind of disjointed the next couple of days.
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, just kind of wait and see, see what time my tee time will be tomorrow. I'm sure it will be late. But just got to keep going and see what happens.

Q. Are you glad to have gotten these two shots in, three shots in? Or does it matter?
BRIAN STUARD: It's probably nice to not have to come back at 6:00 in the morning and not have to warm up for a couple shots. But it was a good day. We saw that it was -- they had it on the scoreboard on 17 that inclement weather was coming, so we were trying to get it in, but just didn't have time. But that's all right.

Q. What did you end up doing during the five-hour delay?
BRIAN STUARD: Just hung out, nothing, had a bite to eat and just waited for the time to pass.

Q. You made some pretty long putts today.
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, I played well. I don't know, just one of those days, I guess. I felt like I was really reading the greens well, seeing the lines, and luckily they were going in.

Q. You got a par on 17 with about a 20-footer I saw?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah.

Q. It doesn't count as a birdie but it helps.
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, no kidding. It was a nice save to keep the momentum going, I guess.

Q. Were you concerned on 18 that maybe conditions would have changed so much that it would have been hard to -- catch a flier or --
BRIAN STUARD: Definitely. It was a little bit -- probably if I would have hit the shot when we were first playing, I would have hit just a sand wedge, but the wind was a little bit different, so I kind of had to -- I don't know, played maybe a little safe, I guess, hitting a little too much club and just trying to get behind the hole there.

Q. I heard that this is a new putter you got in San Antonio?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah.

Q. Talk about that. What prompted that?
BRIAN STUARD: Just one of those things where I just wasn't feeling comfortable with my -- the one I was using.

Q. Which is what?
BRIAN STUARD: I was using an Odyssey Versa, I think, and I just picked this one up on the putting green on Tuesday, I think, just hitting a few putts with it, felt pretty good, so I was like, give it a try, and I putted well last week. I don't know, it might be in the bag for a while.

Q. What are you putting with?
BRIAN STUARD: I think it's a -- I think it's the Fang, Odyssey Fang. I'm not exactly sure what the name of it is. It's an Odyssey.

Q. What's the best putt you made today?
BRIAN STUARD: Probably -- I made a good one for par on 12.

Q. 32½ feet?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah. I hit it left of the green, had no shot, and just kind of chipped it on across the green, and I made it coming back. I don't know, one of those days, I guess.

Q. How would you describe your season to this point?
BRIAN STUARD: It hasn't been very good. I've struggled a little bit. I feel like I've been working really hard at it, and I saw some good signs last week, and then today was even a little better, so hopefully I can keep it going.

Q. You haven't played all that much, have you?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, I haven't been able to get in too many tournaments. I played last week and then this week, obviously, so playing two in a row is kind of nice to get a little momentum going.

Q. What's that uncertainty like when you're not really sure when your next start is going to come?
BRIAN STUARD: It's tough. I guess it's just part of the deal. You've got to deal with it. But it's definitely tough, not sure what your schedule is going to be even next week. It makes it tough. But just got to deal with it.

Q. Was it easier on 18 knowing you were not in the water, you were going to the clubhouse? Was it an easier wait because you were pretty safe?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, I mean, I wasn't really worried too much about it. I think it probably would have been a little different if you were back on the tee or on 17 having to wait those four or five hours, whatever it was. But yeah, it was pretty easy shot.

Q. What did you do during the break?
BRIAN STUARD: Didn't do much. Just kind of looked at my phone and watched the clock tick and kept checking the radar, and it didn't seem to want to go away.

Q. Did you eat?
BRIAN STUARD: I ate a little bit, yeah.

Q. You talked about your play was a little bit better at the Valero, but did you see a 64 coming?
BRIAN STUARD: Yeah, probably not, but I think it was just one of those things where I really had the putter going, and that was the biggest thing. I hit it well tee to green, but I didn't hit it 64 well, but I putted 64 well.

Q. Do you change putters often?
BRIAN STUARD: No. I haven't changed -- this is probably my third putter in three years. Not too much.

Q. I don't know how to say this correctly, but have you ever headed into a suspension with the lead in a tournament, or have you ever held a first-round lead in a PGA TOUR event?
BRIAN STUARD: I don't think so. I don't think I've had the first. I think I had the second-round lead in Hawai'i a couple years ago, but I don't think so, not the first.

Q. What kind of status do you have?
BRIAN STUARD: I've got conditional status, 125 to 150.

Q. How do you spend the weeks that you're not on TOUR? How do you keep the competitive juices?
BRIAN STUARD: I've played a few of the Web.coms and haven't really played very well out there, either, but it's just nice to get some rounds in. That's about it. Just practice and try to -- I don't know, not much.

Q. Where is home for you?
BRIAN STUARD: I live in Fort Worth.

Q. What's your home club?
BRIAN STUARD: I don't really have one.

Q. How long have you lived there?
BRIAN STUARD: I think this is going to be two years this summer, so not too long.

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